Posted by Blogger Name. Category:
Clare Curran
,
Labour Party
,
Misuse of resources
,
Shane Taurima
,
Tamaki Makarau
,
TVNZ
Shane Taurima is claiming to have been vindicated by the TVNZ investigation into its Maori and Pacific Programmes department. But he seems not to have read the whole report; under the heading
No bias, but Shane Taurima did misuse funds, review finds One News reports:
An independent review has found the former General Manager of TVNZ's Maori and Pacific Programmes department did misuse company resources for political activities with the Labour Party.
But the panel cleared Shane Taurima of any political bias in his interviews and the editorial content he produced for TVNZ programmes.
Mr Taurima resigned from his position following revelations he had participated in a Labour Party strategy meeting and had attended a fundraising meeting at TVNZ which involved the company's staff and resources.
The review panel found Mr Taurima failed to adequately disclose extensive party political activity during his final year with the company, after his unsuccessful bid for Labour's Ikaroa-Rawhiti candidacy in May 2013.
TVNZ's Chief Executive, Kevin Kenrick, says he accepts the findings of the review into the political activities of Mr Taurima and three other members of his staff while working at TVNZ.
David Cunliffe is refusing to comment on the report, saying it is a matter for the Labour Party's council to consider. We find that fascinating, given Mr Cunliffe's recent demands for everyone except himself to be transparent, and given the outrage that a number of Labour MP's have expressed, most recently Clare Curran, over a National candidate's link to the tobacco industry.
We could be cynical, and suggest that given Mr Cunliffe's desire for the taxpayer to fund political parties, Mr Taurima already has the inside running with his attitude to his employer's resources. But we'll resist the temptation to wander too far down that path.
It will be interesting to see whether this will nobble Taurima's bid to become Labour's Tamaki Makarau candidate. Personally, we believe that Labour ought not have a bar of anyone who has been found to have misused his employer's resources for political activity. Labour always has the option of sneaking Taurima in by the side door, via the party list.
Interesting times await. But Shane Taurima is wrong to claim to have been vindicated by this report.
