Political commentator and former National Party press secretary Ben Thomas said Stuart Nash had an "absolute brain explosion" yesterday ahead of his resignation as Police Minister.
Nash revealed on radio that he asked the Police Commissioner about appealing a decision in 2021. He wasn't Police Minister at the time.
"Stuart Nash is not a waiter who set the table wrong on his second week in the job, he's not just a minister of five years standing, this is his second time as Police Minister," Thomas told Breakfast this morning.
"Calling the Police Commissioner, whether he was Minister of Police at the time or minister in another portfolio, is totally crossing the line.
"That probably deserves sacking as a minister."
Thomas said Nash would consider himself "lucky" to only be removed from the police portfolio.
Nash is still the minister of Oceans and fisheries, forestry, and economic development.
"There's a strong case to be made that he should be gone from everything," Thomas said.
"The rules are in place to stop the worst ever happening.
"He's a well-performing minister but what it does, is it calls into question his ability to be a minister at all."
'A grave decision'
Labour's Arena Williams and National's Simeon Brown joined Breakfast to discuss Nash's resignation as Police Minister. (Source: Breakfast)
National MP Simeon Brown and Labour MP Arena Williams joined Breakfast to discuss the situation this morning.
"Stuart Nash made an error of judgement... he's reflected on that and he offered the prime minister his resignation which was swiftly accepted," Williams said. "I know that he loves that job in the police portfolio, he won't be able to do that any more and it would have been a grave decision for him."
Williams argued losing the police portfolio was "proportionate", and stressed how quickly the resignation came.
But Brown said Nash should no longer be a Cabinet minister.
"He has breached those rules, and the rules should be clear, he should go.
"This government is soft on crime and soft on cabinet ministers who commit offences."
The rules
The Cabinet Manual reads: "Ministers do not comment on or involve themselves in the investigation of offences or the decision as to whether a person should be prosecuted, or on what charge.
"Similarly, they should not comment on the results of particular cases, on matters that are subject to suppression orders, or on any sentence handed down by a court."
The Police Act states: "The [Police] Commissioner is not responsible to, and must act independently of, any Minister of the Crown (including any person acting on the instruction of a Minister of the Crown) regarding... the investigation and prosecution of offences."
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