Affiliations off menu for TVNZ says chief
STATE sector head Iain Rennie has told TVNZ not to require staff to reveal political affiliations, describing it as ‘‘a crude and heavy-handed response’’ to a situation that would apply to few people.
The State Services Commissioner yesterday took the rare step of issuing a statement condemning the idea, saying he wanted to make his views ‘‘crystal clear’’.
That came after TVNZ chief executive Kevin Kenrick signalled at a select committee hearing he may require staff to reveal political allegiances, particularly in news and current affairs, after the recent Shane Taurima debacle.
Mr Rennie said his staff had been in contact with TVNZ and he would be ‘‘extremely surprised’’ if it went ahead with the idea.
‘‘It would not be appropriate for any organisation in the State Services to monitor or keep a register of their staff’s political views or affiliations.’’
Mr Kenrick couched the idea as his personal view, but it is understood it has been made clear that it is not possible to have a purely personal view when appearing as a chief executive before a select committee.
Mr Kenrick said he did not want to censor or dictate staff’s political preferences. ‘‘But what we need to have is more robust declaration and awareness of that, and then we probably will need to look at how we can manage a situation where we are aware of that.’’
After the issues with Mr Taurima he had a ‘‘low appetite’’ for again hiring someone who had shown their political allegiances. He indicated former presenter Tamati Coffey, who is seeking the nod for Labour in Rotorua, would not be taken back.
Last year, Mr Taurima unsuccessfully sought Labour’s nomination in the Ikaroa Rawhiti by-election. Later, he was taken back on staff by TVNZ as head of its Maori and Pacific programming unit after it sought assurances he had chosen journalism over politics.
However, he later hosted a hui advising Labour on how to win the Maori vote and attended a meeting at TVNZ’s offices of Labour’s Tamaki Makaurau branch meeting –a seat he was eyeing as a candidate.
He quit TVNZ, but denied there had been any bias in his work.
Employment experts advised seeking a declaration of political links, which could fall foul of the Human Rights Act. Prime Minister John Key said it was unnecessary. Mr Rennie said about 165,000 state servants in a wide range of roles all around the country, including TVNZ employees, were subject to the State Services code of conduct.
It requires staff to be politically neutral at work and not allow personal interests or relationships to affect professional responsibilities.
In their private lives, state servants generally had the same rights as any other citizen when it came to their personal political opinions and affiliations. This included the right to hold political views and the right to freedom of association, Mr Rennie said.
‘‘All state servants must balance their professional roles and responsibilities with their private views and keep their job out of their politics and their politics out of their job,’’ he said.
The SSC’s guidance on the code acknowledged political involvement could be seen as a conflict of interest that would need to be managed, depending on the functions, responsibilities and seniority of the role. As soon as any state servant became aware of an actual or potential conflict of interest, they should discuss it with their manager.