'Dr' Ogilvy MP demoted to Mr

By JOHN ARMSTRONG

United Future has suffered another blow to its credibility after one of its MPs was discovered using the title of "doctor" on the basis of an honorary law degree awarded by a Californian theology school.

Bernie Ogilvy, one of United Future's seven new MPs, is to drop the title after inquiries revealed that the school has never offered a law programme. It offers degrees in church music, ministry and theology.

Mr Ogilvy has said he received the award as recognition for work he did with young volunteers at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics.

He has been using the title "doctor" on his office door and in parliamentary records on the basis of the honorary doctorate.

The incident is yet another embarrassment to United Future, which has placed itself in the exposed and tricky position of propping up the Government.

The Ogilvy revelation follows the departure of fellow United Future MP Kelly Chal, after it emerged that she was not a New Zealand citizen, a requirement under the Electoral Act for being an MP.

Mr Ogilvy can now expect to be the target of ridicule in Parliament as Opposition parties continue to try to undermine United Future's standing with voters.

Mr Ogilvy told the Sunday Star-Times that he thought the degree entitled him to call himself "doctor".

But National's deputy leader, Roger Sowry, said the MP was stretching credibility if he thought he would receive a real doctorate just for being a volunteer at the Olympics.

"This smacks of the John Davy saga all over again. It is just a shame this more detailed scrutiny of United Future candidates did not happen prior to the election."

Canadian John Davy was sacked as head of the Maori Television Service and later jailed after some of his credentials, including a university qualification, were discovered to be fake.

Mr Ogilvy said he received the degree from the California Graduate School of Theology during a graduation ceremony in 1990.

The school is accredited by the Californian Bureau of Private Postsecondary and Vocational Education to provide religious and theological degrees.

The bureau has confirmed that at no point has the school been accredited to provide a law programme of any kind.

Neither Mr Ogilvy nor party leader Peter Dunne could be reached for further comment yesterday.