In an interview with Newstalk ZB this morning Minister of Police Poto Williams made it crystal clear that despite being their Minister, the police and their safety are not a priority for her, Leader of the Opposition Judith Collins says.

“The interview was a train wreck from beginning to end and quite frankly it is time the Prime Minister steps in to replace her with someone who is capable of advocating for and caring about police officers.

“I have been Minister of Police and it was an absolute privilege to work with the people who risk their own safety to enforce the law and protect us all in this country. The police force deserves a Minister who does not look at them as if they are all violent racists.

“It is unforgivable that Minister Williams would not even condemn anarchist group People Against Prisons Aotearoa when read a statement that said they were committed to ‘disarming, defunding, and abolishing the bloodstained racist institution of the New Zealand Police’.

“Labour make the mistake of thinking they speak for all Māori and Pasifika people when they say they have listened to the ‘communities’. No ethnic group is a monolith and in my electorate of Papakura I am hearing that my multi-cultural constituents support police and want them to be able to sort out gang members.

“This cannot go on. Labour has to get real about crime and about empowering the police to do their job. This nonsense of making the police the ‘bad guys’ is creating a more tense and hostile environment which inevitably leads to more dangerous altercations.

“It is not good enough to continue with the status quo. It is time for action, Prime Minister.”

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