Te Whatu Ora chair Rob Campbell says his comments on social media about National’s water infrastructure plan were made as a private citizen. Does that distinction apply in this case?
Hardly "muzzling"! It is a "Terms of Employment" issue plain & simple. I too am interested in what Mr Campbell has to say ... if he was a private citizen & not in the roles he currently is. He is an intelligent man who is experienced in public roles, so if he wanted to be able to write op-eds & opine on all & sundry, he should not have taken these jobs - plain & simple!
If the roles were reversed & a "right-leaning" employee was in those roles & came out publicly on the side of the National or Act plan, or anti-Labour or Greens proposals, that would be just as bad.
It is a slippery slope to allow public servants to use their megaphone in areas that are NOT part of their employment, and can undermine the public faith in their neutrality in carrying out their public service roles. End of ...
I don’t like the idea of muzzling free speech in the slightest by anyone and to anyone but ESPECIALLY not Governments. It’s very dangerous and looks it as well.
Hardly "muzzling"! It is a "Terms of Employment" issue plain & simple. I too am interested in what Mr Campbell has to say ... if he was a private citizen & not in the roles he currently is. He is an intelligent man who is experienced in public roles, so if he wanted to be able to write op-eds & opine on all & sundry, he should not have taken these jobs - plain & simple!
If the roles were reversed & a "right-leaning" employee was in those roles & came out publicly on the side of the National or Act plan, or anti-Labour or Greens proposals, that would be just as bad.
It is a slippery slope to allow public servants to use their megaphone in areas that are NOT part of their employment, and can undermine the public faith in their neutrality in carrying out their public service roles. End of ...
I don’t like the idea of muzzling free speech in the slightest by anyone and to anyone but ESPECIALLY not Governments. It’s very dangerous and looks it as well.