Media Release
For Immediate Release 26 August 2008
Frontline Police betrayed by Government
The decision by the Government to backtrack on assurances that they would support the status quo, which allows police
officers to serve their communities as local councillors, has left police officers angry and confused, Police
Association President Greg O'Connor said today.
"At a time when police are feeling isolated from the communities they are recruited from and live in, this ideologically
driven denial of democratic rights enjoyed by every other New Zealander, including public servants, just aggravates that
feeling of isolation," Mr O'Connor said.
"Police have served on councils for many years without any issues arising, and have brought a pragmatic and highly
ethical approach to decision-making.
"The Policing Bill went through more than two years of community consultation and development, and the Government policy
after that process was that police should be able to serve on councils. Now it has decided at the eleventh hour, with no
consultation, to reverse that policy and undermine the rights of every New Zealand police officer.
"This will be seen by police officers, their families and supporters as 'nanny state' deciding that frontline police
officers should be seen and not heard," Mr O'Connor said.
"The grand-parenting clause which seeks to placate current serving councillors simply serves to highlight the hypocrisy
of the decision.
"There does not appear to be any substantive reason whatsoever for the about-face other than a desire to satisfy New
Zealand First. Police officers will be scanning the legislative and political environment for clues as to what can have
been so important that the Government chose to sell them out," Mr O'Connor said.
ENDS