Heather du Plessis-Allan: We all know how this police pay negotiation is going to play out

I think we all know how this police pay negotiation is going to play out, don't we? It's pretty obvious. 

We don’t know how long it’s gonna take, but we know how it’s going to end. The Government will, in the end, have to offer the police a decent pay increase.

And the reason they will do that is because anything short of that is just stupid. Politically stupid and realistically stupid.

I never really understand why the Government across the years have been tight with the front line workers the country respects the most, who in my opinion are predominantly nurses and police officers.

You can debate the teachers, cause they've got the long holidays and you can debate the doctors cause they’re on pretty good coin already. But it takes a particularly stone-hearted person to debate on the nurses or coppers.

A new officer is paid $67,000, $32 bucks an hour. Most new builders get more money than that, and their job doesn’t involve regular violence.

I was expecting better from this Government, largely because the Police Minister, Mark Mitchell, is a former police officer.

And also because they’ve made such a point of how much they back the front line officers and how much we need the police. So it’s quite disappointing that they aren’t putting their money where their mouths are.

But back to my prediction.

You know this is going to end with an increased offer. And you know that, because this is the Government of law and order.

And you cannot crack down on the baddies if you don’t have enough of the goodies because you pay them peanuts.

Also- this is the Government that is, quite rightly, giving money back to landlords. But if you give money back to landlords and you don't give money to the coppers, you know that’s going to upset some voters.

And also, if it comes down to a fight between police, men and women who keep us safe, and politicians- the police always win.

So I dunno who in the Government thought it was a good call to lowball, but they need to reset their political radar.

Because there’s only one way this ends- with a proper pay offer.

Heather du Plessis-Allan is a journalist and commentator who hosts Newstalk ZB's Drive show.