Police Minister Mark Mitchell is refusing to allow Labour’s police spokeswoman Ginny Andersen to meet an Auckland police inspector.

It comes about two years after Mitchell, then National’s police spokesman in Opposition, was blocked from meeting with police leaders by then-Police Minister Poto Williams - a decision he said was “petulant and vindictive”.

Andersen claims Mitchell is “scared of what I might find out” following issues such as the result of police pay arbitration which many officers had opposed.

The refusal arose after one of Andersen’s staffers wrote to Mitchell’s office on Tuesday, asking for permission for Andersen to visit the Albany police station alongside Shanan Halbert, a Labour list MP and former Northcote MP.

It is the convention for Opposition MPs to get a minister’s agreement before meeting high-ranked police or senior officials in the government sector.

The email cited an agreement between Opposition and Government members that speaking to officers at an inspector level or above was the accepted rule.

Mitchell’s office replied today: “The Minister does not give permission for Ms Andersen or Mr Halbert to visit the Albany Police Station.”

Mitchell’s office has been contacted for comment.

“It looks like he’s scared of what I might find out,” Andersen told the Herald.

Labour police spokeswoman Ginny Andersen is being blocked from meeting with police in Auckland. Photo / Mark Mitchell

Andersen, the former police minister, said she hadn’t blocked Mitchell when he was in Opposition from meeting with police leaders.

She said she couldn’t understand why she wasn’t afforded the same access Mitchell had received.

Andersen suspected Mitchell was concerned about what officers could say following the result of police pay arbitration, in which the Police Association’s proposal wasn’t selected.

In 2022, former police minister Poto Williams refused to let Mitchell meet the Police Commissioner or any district commanders, saying cops were too busy for him.

That came amid tense interactions between the pair in the House.

Mitchell at the time told Newstalk ZB he believed Williams was being petulant and vindictive when he was simply trying to hold her to account.

“It may be uncomfortable being told I don’t think she’s very good at her job and I don’t think she’s across her portfolio, but for her now to use her political power and position in government to start blocking me from meetings - that’s Third World stuff,” Mitchell said in 2022.

“She may as well go and join the Cabinet in Somalia.”

Adam Pearse is a political reporter in the NZ Herald Press Gallery team, based at Parliament. He has worked for NZME since 2018, covering sport and health for the Northern Advocate in Whangārei before moving to the NZ Herald in Auckland, covering Covid-19 and crime.