Deputy Prime Minister Nicola Willis says the Michael Forbes situation is awful - but police have to have discretion. 

The Prime Minister's acting deputy press secretary quit last week, over allegations he took compromising recordings of sex workers and photos of women he didn't know.

Nicola Willis says these issues need to be managed well and she says the Department of Internal Affairs looking into the matter is positive. 

She says police do have discretion, which is important. 

"So it's never appropriate for ministers to dive in and say - we think you should prosecute this person or that person."

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