6 August, 2004

Greens call for inquiry over Ministers' behaviour

Green MP Metiria Turei today called for the Maori Affairs select committee to conduct an inquiry into the recent accusations by Labour Government ministers against a Maori public servant.

Metiria, the Green Party's Maori Affairs spokesperson, said she hoped the inquiry would implement a Minister's code-of-conduct to ensure there would be no repeat of John Tamihere's bullying of former Labour department employee Amokura Panoho because of her links to the Maori Party.

"This is a disgraceful episode that has cost a hardworking employee her job," said Metiria. "I would expect the two Ministers involved to be reprimanded at the very least for their heavy-handed and false accusations.

"Ms Panoho did nothing wrong or improper but has resigned because false allegations were made public."

Metiria warned that Mr Tamihere's actions, and those of other Labour Government ministers, posed a threat to the quality and viability of the public service.

"The way the Government has behaved has had a chilling effect on democracy," she said. "Public servants, whatever their colour or creed, are entitled to be members of political parties.

"There's a serious inconsistency in the Government's behaviour when, according to their biographies, four of the five Maori members of Cabinet have worked in the public service prior to becoming MPs. They can't fool anyone that they were apolitical prior to becoming MPs.

"So is this a case of one rule for Labour and another for other political parties?

"In this case, the Government's message to Maori public servants is clear: deny your rights to being a citizen or forget about a job working for New Zealand," she said.

ENDS

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Gordon Campbell: On the Sony cyber attack

Given the layers of meta-irony involved, the saga of the Sony cyber attack seemed at the outset more like a snarky European art film than a popcorn entry at the multiplex.

Yet now with (a) President Barack Obama weighing in on the side of artistic freedom and calling for the US to make a ‘proportionate response’quickly followed by (b) North Korea’s entire Internet service going down, and with both these events being followed by (c) Sony deciding to backtrack and release The Interview film that had made it a target for the dastardly North Koreans in the first place, then ay caramba…the whole world will now be watching how this affair pans out. More>>