Saturday, August 14, 2004
'Muzzling' state workers? It's not just 'state' workers
Haami Piripi insists that people working for the state, and taking home over 100,000 tax payer dollars for the bother, should be allowed to carry with behaviour that has the effect of "undermining of confidence in the neutrality" of their employer.
Piripi stands by his submission and his right, as a private citizen, to make such public statements. He is wrong. This is not a issue about being Maori, or having the right to speak freely, it is exclusively an employment issue.
If My Right was to get legless at a private function and deeply offend (using extreme and volatile language) one of his employers key clients, he would be rightly censured. Further, he would likely be in the possession of a written warning the following Monday.
Piripi ".. think(s) it has significant implications for Maori public servants who come from communities who expect them to advocate for them."If you want to be an advocate for your community, all well and good. But you owe a duty of care to your employer as well. If you can't say what you feel you must without having a detrimental impact on your employer, then you resign - simple.
