Police Minister Mark Mitchell has risen to correct an answer he gave in Parliament yesterday when he claimed the Government’s promise to deliver 500 extra officers in two years had extended to three years.

Earlier today, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon was forced to clarify that Mitchell’s comment was wrong.

Mitchell today told the House he “should have been clearer” and was trying to reflect the recruitment challenges faced by police. He restated the Government’s original promise to achieve the goal in two years.

MPs are squaring off in Parliament today in the second Question Time of the year.

Luxon and his ministers are set to face more pressure from the Opposition seeking the Government to admit missteps regarding its promise to increase the police workforce and whether advice on freezing tobacco excise tax was requested.

Labour leader Chris Hipkins, while questioning Luxon, asked how Mitchell could get confused about the police promise when he had stated the extended timeframe multiple times publicly.

Luxon claimed there was “no ambiguity” around the target. He also claimed there was no meeting between the three parties in December to discuss the policy promise, as has been reported in the media.

Police Minister Mark Mitchell correcting his answer in Parliament today. Photo / Mark Mitchell

Labour’s Ginny Andersen continued her scrutiny of Mitchell.

Mitchell said he had “no knowledge” of a meeting that reportedly occurred last night between the chiefs of staff of National and NZ First to discuss his incorrect comments regarding the coalition’s promise to provide 500 extra cops within two years.

Deputy PM Winston Peters said this morning on RNZ that such a meeting did take place.

Andersen asked Mitchell whether there was a meeting between the coalition partners in December to discuss the coalition promise where it was agreed to extend the timeframe to three years.

Mitchell said no, but had already admitted to media there was a meeting between National and NZ First in December to discuss issues impacting police recruitment.

Hipkins then shifted his focus to the issue surrounding Associate Minister of Health Casey Costello, who has stated she sent party policy documents to officials regarding efforts to reduce smoking rates.

Hipkins asked Luxon whether he felt it appropriate for policy documents - including some that were not Government policy like a freeze on tobacco excise tax increases - to be sent to officials who helped develop plans to address smoking rates.

What followed was a lengthy debate about whether it was expected of Luxon to answer the question with Speaker Gerry Brownlee eventually siding with Hipkins.

Luxon believed it was not unreasonable for officials to have access to those documents.

Costello has come under fire for her comments surrounding whether she did ask for advice on freezing tax increases, saying to media she hadn’t asked for it while leaked documents to RNZ suggested she had.

Labour health spokeswoman Dr Ayesha Verrall asked Costello why her claim that she didn’t ask for advice on freezing tobacco excise hinged on how she was offered advice rather than requesting it.

Costello, apologising for a “long-worded answer”, said upon receiving the delegation in charge of smoking regulation, she was provided a “range of information” including previous policy positions around smoking regulation to help guide conversations.

She was then given options of topics to be briefed on - including the tax increase freeze - and she noted in a letter she wanted advice on all the proposals. She clarified she was yet to receive proposals from officials.

National flip-flops over police recruitment policy

Earlier this morning, Luxon admitted Mitchell got it wrong yesterday when he stated the Government’s commitment to train an extra 500 police officers couldn’t be delivered in two years as agreed between National and New Zealand First, saying it would be achieved in three.

Luxon confirmed the original promise was still in place in what was a somewhat-confusing flip-flop in light of a Newsroom report yesterday that claimed all three coalition partners had agreed in December to extend the timeframe the new officers would be delivered in to three years.

Associate Health Minister Casey Costello was also being scrutinised about whether she made incorrect statements to media regarding whether she requested advice on freezing tobacco excise tax increases. She claimed she had not done so but leaked documents to RNZ suggested that she had asked for the advice.

National leader Christopher Luxon, Act leader David Seymour, and NZ First leader Winston Peters agree to their coalition documents. Photo / Mark Mitchell

In Question Time from 2pm, Luxon is expected to be challenged by Labour leader Chris Hipkins and Greens co-leader James Shaw and it’s possible both matters will be referenced.

Mitchell would face more specific questions from Labour police spokeswoman Ginny Andersen, who yesterday accused the Government of prioritising tax cuts over resourcing police.

Costello would also be questioned by her Labour counterpart, Dr Ayesha Verrall.

Luxon, talking to Newstalk ZB this morning, said Mitchell’s statements yesterday in the House were incorrect.

“Mark could have expressed himself better.”

Speaking to Newstalk ZB after Luxon, Mitchell admitted: “The boss is 100 per cent right, I got it wrong yesterday”.

He said the Government remained “fully committed” to the two-year timeframe and attempted to explain his comments yesterday by saying he got “too wrapped up talking about the challenges” police faced regarding recruitment.

Mitchell said he recently attended a police graduation that was only half-full, but cited good work being done in Gisborne to attract new recruits, and hoped that work could be replicated nationwide.

Labour police spokeswoman Ginny Andersen, appearing on ZB alongside Mitchell, said the flip-flop was an “absolute circus” and indicated a “lack of communication” within National and between the coalition partners.

Former Police Minister Ginny Andersen claims the public spending cuts have changed the policy. Photo / Mike Scott

Mitchell replied by emphasising his priority on being “honest and up front” about recruitment challenges.

NZ First leader and Deputy PM Winston Peters told RNZ this morning discussions occurred between the coalition parties’ chiefs of staff overnight and reaffirmed the original deadline.

“We have not given up on this target.”

Luxon, speaking later on RNZ, confirmed there were “conversations” following Mitchell’s remarks, including a conversation with Mitchell.

However, Luxon claimed he hadn’t been party to any conversations about extending the deadline prior to yesterday.

The coalition agreement between National and New Zealand First included a commitment to training “no fewer than 500 new frontline police within the first two years”. Late last year, Mitchell said the 500 officers would be a net addition to the workforce.

Yesterday, Andersen accused the Government of prioritising tax cuts over resourcing police after Mitchell said the promise of 500 new officers will be realised in three years, not two.

When asked in the House by Andersen to confirm this, Mitchell said the Government’s policy was to “deliver 500 additional police officers over the term of this Government, which is three years”.

Police Minister Mark Mitchell reading his statement to the House, Parliament, Wellington, 31 January, 2024. NZ Herald photograph by Mark Mitchell

When Andersen asked whether this was confirmation the Government was walking back on its promise, Mitchell denied it before claiming he had previously spoken to the issue when discussing the recruitment challenges faced by police thanks in part to a section of the workforce getting ready to retire and targeted campaigns to recruit New Zealand officers coming from Australia.

Speaking to TVNZ’s Breakfast this morning, Luxon said Mitchell had muddled his words.

“We want to deliver 500 police in two years, but Mark is talking about the difficulty around that, but we’re not backing down,” he said.

“We know it’s challenging, we’re going to do everything we can do to get that done.”

He said he was in regular conversation with Mitchell and nothing had changed about the timeline for delivery.

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.