Photo: RNZ / Samuel Rillstone
Cabinet Minister Kiri Allan has escaped punishment after criticising RNZ's culture and treatment of Māori staff, while a range of Māori commentators have been quick to endorse her sentiment.
Allan yesterday apologised for the comments at RNZ's work farewell for her partner Māni Dunlop - the former host of Midday Report, acknowledging her comments could have been interpreted as her "telling RNZ how to manage their staff or company".
Te Pāti Māori co-leader Debbie Ngarewa-Packer said Allan had simply been putting whānau first.
"If you feel your family member, who is a highly credible, highly professional, highly rated contributor to an industry hasn't been served well, then you're going to say that," she said.
"She's apologised, that's it, but I think we've got to also remember that politicians are human and we should always be putting family first."
Ngarewa-Packer said now was as good a time as any for RNZ - and any broadcaster - to reflect.
"Is the way staff are retained and recruited reflective of Aotearoa, or is it pedalling backwards?"
Commentator Shane Te Pou said Allan was correct and there needed to be more Māori representation on RNZ's flagship shows.
"This is nothing new to Māori broadcasters, Māori journalists. It's happened throughout the years. But there is support amongst themselves, there is some resilience. And sooner or later, those young broadcasters will break the brown ceiling that does exist on mainstream platforms."
Fellow commentator Tau Henare posted on social media, saying he supported what was said but "just not by Kiri lol", and he would not do anything further for RNZ as "my 20 cents worth for Māni".
Former broadcaster Scott Campbell said while the minister may not have been the right person to say the comments, Māori broadcasting needed champions.
"I think the minister hasn't said something that others haven't said in the past. It has been an area that people have been championing for a long time. I think it reinforces there is a need for it."
He said Māori broadcasting had however come a long way over the last 15 to 20 years.
"Māori bring an interesting perspective, and a perspective that needs to be heard. I think we need to encourage more Māori to be in the industry."
Speaking on Morning Report, National leader Christopher Luxon said he was pleased Allan had apologised, but was frustrated to once again be talking about Labour personnel issues.
"We rely on ministers not to get the personal and the public mixed up. She is the minister of justice - we want her focused on justice issues - crime, law and order - rather than opining on this."
ACT leader David Seymour said Allan should have remembered she is always on duty, especially given the heightened awareness of the Cabinet manual since the sacking of Stuart Nash.
"There is a real problem when the people who hold the purse strings aren't absolutely critically cautious about even the perception of interfering with media," Seymour said.
"Nobody loses their democracy all at once, it's always a thousand little chips and we don't want to see them. It's good she's apologised, but I can't believe she did it."
Broadcasting Minister Willie Jackson said RNZ had been working on its Māori strategy.
"I've obviously worked with them before I came to Parliament," he said. "I was a broadcaster and I talked with them and I went through a process in terms of critiquing what they're doing and I'm very comfortable with the commitment they've made."
The Cabinet manual tells ministers to "conduct themselves at all times in the knowledge their role is a public one," and to "exercise a professional approach and good judgement in their interactions with the public and officials".
Ministers are also required to avoid giving direction on complaints, newsgathering and presentation, or standards to RNZ as a state-funded broadcaster which relies on editorial independence, as set out under the Radio New Zealand Act 1995.
Allan had said she had been speaking in a personal capacity, but in her apology acknowledged there is "not such a delineation in terms of public perception".
Prime Minister Chris Hipkins yesterday said he accepted the apology, noting Allan should have been more circumspect.
"In this instance, it would have been better if Kiri, given her ministerial position, had chosen not to take the opportunity to speak."
In a statement, RNZ chief executive Paul Thompson said staff farewells included an open invitation for guest to speak and "the free expression of views is encouraged".
RNZ did not respond to questions about the substance of Allan's criticism or the organisation's treatment of Māori staff.
