Responsibility applies regarding free speech
Re Terry Maguire’s letter (ODT 20.8.24). The second advertisement from the Hobson’s Pledge group wasn’t published by The New Zealand Herald precisely because this group fails to write in a "measured and balanced fashion", and instead misrepresents facts.
This is according to lawyers and legal academics, as well as the offended people decrying the advertisements.
Informed discussions on any topic are not supported by the rhetoric and ill-will of such groups, but rather, hindered.
Responsibilities apply when publicly exercising the right of freedom of speech. Despite what the New Zealand Bill of Rights says in its often isolated article 14, in practice, we don’t automatically have a ‘‘right’’ to freedom of speech when we use it to attack and endanger the rights of other citizens.
Proferred opinion
The big story about Mr Frazer Barton (ODT 16.8.24) includes the opinions offered by Professor Dare, a lecturer in ethics, whose view is that Mr Barton has acted unethically concerning advice give about PSO files.
We know that there are formal complaints about Mr Barton to the Law Society alleging breach of professional standards, aka unethical conduct.
Prof Dare will be fully aware that under our law, such complaints/allegations are dealt with in accordance with the processes set out in the legislation governing lawyers, and not by the court of public opinion, nor journalists nor opinions offered by academics who are not part of the investigatory body.
Fall guy
I am appalled that Frazer Barton appears to have been made the fall guy in the destroyed records saga at PSO.
His email response was quite clearly conditional and Gillian Bremner should have asked for further clarification before destroying anything.
However the Presbyterian Church and its clergy are the real culprits here.
Ms Bremner's inquiry of Mr Barton would undoubtedly have been prompted by her superiors in the religious arm of the church who had a vested interest in protecting their church by destroying evidence against any abusive priests.
For the church to now try and distance itself from Mr Barton is appalling conduct towards someone who has been so good to them for so long.
Premature evaluation
Steve Goodlass rightly points to the sad and deeply concerning situation when members of the legal profession aid their institutional clients to avoid accountability for abuse in care.
No reasonable person would disagree with this concern.
I would argue, however, that the ODT reporting about Frazer Barton’s presumed culpability in this context is incommensurate with the ethical imperative of fair and balanced reporting.
His long-term public service is discounted and his excellent reputation is compromised.
Yes, his "yes" should have been "no".
But, the rest of his email qualifies the "yes". How about acknowledging this instead of making him the scapegoat for institutional malfeasance in the absence of its perpetrators?
Trial by media seems premature and unfair in view of the outcome of an investigation still being awaited.
Governmental reprioritisation is necessary
The government says it is prioritising children in poverty. Yet they have no idea where 1000 children have gone.
This after the government has creatively moved them out of motels. This is PR speak at its lowest form and the modus operandi from this government. They are concerned about the housing situation yet cut social housing, we are worried about climate change yet cut funding to climate change projects and associated organisations, concerned about gun laws yet appoint a gun lobbyist as the minister, concerned about education yet cut funding to essential school building projects, concerned for people’s health yet cut funding to doctors and hospitals, concerned about infrastructure yet stop essential infrastructure taking place from ferry terminals, ships, hospitals, light rail, schools.
They want to honour the Treaty yet are doing everything they can to undermine and destroy the foundational document of our country. Every day they cut funding of crucial workforce and resourcing of essential services. All to save money.
Save money because this government has cut its income stream by $14 billion to give higher incomes big tax cuts and landlords huge tax breaks. All this while unemployment figures are about to hit record highs, economic activity has slowed considerably due to uncertainty, businesses are shutting their doors, people are heading offshore in droves.
I want to hear of funding and the development of projects that will build a country we can all value and feel great about again.
At some point we need to say to this government please stop slashing and burning our country. We want a government that genuinely says what it means and will genuinely do its best to support the livelihood of every New Zealander.
Abridged — length. Editor. ]
Up the Wahs but not above all the others
I am wondering if rugby league now runs TV1 judging by the number of items and time spent on this sport. In particular there is a club team called the Warriors. They currently are in 14th place.
In the last 11 years their best result was fourth last year. Their other results were 15th, 12th, 10th, 13th, 8th, 13th 10th, 13th, 9th and 10th. Yet this one club team gets more coverage than any other team in any other sport. Why?
Sure we should see their results, but we
have more time on TV1 with interviews with the coach of this Auckland club team than the total interview time with all super rugby team coaches and all netball team coaches and all basketball team coaches added together.
Did you see the Highlanders coach interviewed most weeks, or the Steel coach? Why?
We often see parts of matches, and their results, between Australian club NRL teams but we almost never see matches between Australian rugby teams or between Australian netball teams or Australian basketball teams. Why should we see these games?
There are New Zealanders involved in all sorts of different sports teams but we only see New Zealanders playing in an NRL club competition. New Zealand teams please. In the last three nights we have seen a New Zealand person playing in an Australian club team three times.
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