Ginny Andersen will be the next Police Minister, taking over from Stuart Nash.
The announcement was made by Prime Minister Chris Hipkins at today's post-Cabinet news conference.
"She has worked for the police in the past for over a decade and more recently has been the chair of Parliament’s Justice Select Committee," Hipkins said of Andersen.
Nash resigned from the role last week after revealing on radio he had called Police Commissioner Andrew Coster in 2021 to query whether the police would appeal a case.
Speaking on Newstalk ZB last Monday, Nash told host Mike Hosking: "I’ve seen a couple of judgements, and actually one I phoned up the Police Commissioner and said surely you’re going to appeal this?"
His actions prompted accusations of interference with police, which is against Cabinet rules.
Hipkins then announced Nash had resigned from his role as police minister, clarifying if he had not resigned Hipkins would have sacked him.
Megan Woods was then made acting Police Minister.
On Thursday, it was further revealed Nash had previously been warned about making public comments on cases before the courts in 2020, with the Solicitor-General considered prosecuting Nash for contempt.
On Friday, Hipkins said he had been advised of a third mishap involving Nash, where he contacted a senior official from the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment in September last year to ask them to look at an immigration case of a health professional in the Napier electorate.
As a result, Hipkins demoted Nash to the bottom of the Cabinet rankings, but allowed him to retain his other portfolios in Economic Development, Forestry, and Fisheries.
SHARE ME