Act leader David Seymour calls on Labour MP Ginny Andersen to resign

Act leader David Seymour is calling on Labour MP Ginny Andersen to resign following claims she made last week that Police Minister Mark Mitchell was “paid to kill people” in his past career as a security contractor in Iraq.

Speaking to Newstalk ZB’s The Country, Seymour said there had always been a “bit of a joke around Parliament” about whether “[Mitchell] was an assassin” but he noted how most people didn’t think it was true.

“[Mitchell’s] job and his company was actually providing security to protect food supply convoys so that people in very dangerous parts of the world could get fed.

“To then try and twist that into something as sinister as [Andersen] did, I think, reflects more on her than anyone else.”

Labour Party police spokesperson Ginny Andersen has apologised to Police Minister Mark Mitchell about her comments claiming he was "paid to kill people". Photo / Samuel Rillstone, RNZ

Andersen made her first public apology for her comments this morning on Newstalk ZB, saying it was personally unacceptable to attack Mitchell. Last week, she released a statement which didn’t include an apology but did accept her comments went too far - a sentiment echoed by Labour leader Chris Hipkins.

However, Seymour - also Regulation Minister and future Deputy Prime Minister - felt the incident indicated Andersen should leave politics.

“Whether she says she’s apologised or whatever, I think it’s probably just time for Ginny to move on. All political careers come to an end and why not hers?”

Seymour claimed it sounded like Andersen had a “bit of a nasty streak”, referencing bullying allegations made against the former Hutt South MP last year.

Andersen said she would apologise to Mitchell when the pair appeared on Newstalk ZB on Wednesday morning.

Mitchell last week said Andersen, the former police minister, had texted him to apologise. He didn’t think that was sufficient and felt the apology should happen face-to-face.

Andersen’s comments, made on Newstalk ZB, included asking Mitchell whether he kept a “tally of how many you shot”.

Act leader David Seymour thinks Ginny Andersen should resign for her comments. Photo / Michael Cunningham

Mitchell has said in his roughly eight years overseas, he only had to use a weapon once during a five-day siege on the compound he was helping protect. He has said he didn’t know whether he shot anyone.

He considered Andersen’s comments a “character assassination” and has stated his pride in the work he did.

Last week, Hipkins said Andersen’s comments “went too far” and told reporters in Parliament his fellow Labour MP’s remarks were out of order.

“I think Ginny went too far with her comments, I don’t agree with all of her comments either. And she’s apologised for them,” Hipkins said.

He said Mitchell can be “very provocative in these debates” on the Mike Hosking Breakfast show but Andersen “went far too far in responding to those”.

Mitchell has previously defended the work he did in volatile countries after political opponents described him as a mercenary.

Police Minister Mark Mitchell previously worked as a security contractor in Iraq before entering Parliament. Photo / Hagen Hopkins

He had worked as a security contractor in Iraq in 2004 straight after the invasion of Iraq by US-led forces, first working for a British contractor providing security to the Coalition Provisional Authority and training Iraqi security forces before setting up a company specialising in logistics. He spent about eight years in the Middle East, including doing hostage negotiation work and logistics.

Mitchell has said his work included tasks commissioned by the United Nations such as freeing up supplies at ports controlled by criminal gangs so they could reach communities. He said he was proud of his efforts delivering aid in countries like Pakistan, Somalia, Afghanistan and Iraq.

In 2017, Mitchell told the Herald the label of mercenary frustrated him.

“I wouldn’t change anything I’ve done. I’m ... quietly proud, I’m not someone who shouts it from the rooftops — I’m a Kiwi after all. But I’m proud of the difference we made in people’s lives in terms of their security and ability to get on with their lives.”

He pointed to work he had done such as opening mass graves with scientists from The Hague gathering evidence for the war crimes trial of Saddam Hussein.

“When you’re opening mass graves and you’re finding the remains of babies clinging to mums, it’s a pretty clear reminder of the atrocities which were taking place. That was a very, very tough job for everyone involved. Instead of questioning why we were there, all it does is provide more resolve in terms of knowing there had to be changes made.”