New police-style vests for Parliament Security after Parliament occupation

The new Parliament security uniform. Photo / Thomas Coughlan

The violent occupation of Parliament has triggered changes to the uniform worn by parliamentary security staff. The new uniform will now include police-style tactical vests, occasionally described as stab-proof vests.

Parliamentary Service chief executive Rafael Gonzalez-Montero saidlast year’s “occupation highlighted the importance for our security officers to feel safe undertaking their work”.

“The new uniform, featuring a polo-shirt, trousers and tactical vest, has been worked through by security and our leadership teams, ensuring that safety for staff goes hand in hand with keeping Parliament safe for all,” he said.

The old Parliament security uniform featured a simple white shirt and tie.

Threats to the security of Parliament and parliamentarians have been top of mind since the occupation - and not just among Parliament staff. MPs have also voiced concerns about safety.

Green co-leader James Shaw recently warned about the increased risk of violence against MPs in a recent interview with Newsroom.

“There’s a real possibility we will see some form of political violence this year and someone will be injured, or worse.”

Shaw himself is the victim of political violence, suffering a broken eye socket when he was attacked in the street in 2019 as he walked to Parliament.

He wanted a cross-party group of MPs to form and discuss safety threats.

The group has yet to meet.

Prime Minister Chris Hipkins said yesterday he was “certainly open to conversations with all the political parties that everyone is kept safe during the campaign”.

“We have seen an increased number of incidents in recent years. James Shaw was the victim of one of those. I don’t think any one of us should find that acceptable,” he said.

Hipkins said he believed it was important “that we conduct our politics in a way that does allow us to get out there and engage and talk to one another in a way that is safe and that is respectful”.

Green co-leader Marama Davidson was knocked down by a motorcycle over the weekend in a possible act of political violence.

Many of the threats directed at parliamentarians in recent years were towards former Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern.

Ardern, who will give her valedictory speech and leave Parliament next month, still receives police protection from the Diplomatic Protection Squad, or DPS. Usually protection only lasts for the time a person is prime minister.

University of Auckland research on posts from some of the darker corners of the internet, including 4Chan, 8kun, Telegram and Reddit, relating to Ardern and six other bureaucrats and politicians found that 93 per cent of abusive, angry or threatening messages were aimed at Ardern.