Cabinet Minister Kiri Allan on RNZ not releasing speech transcript: ‘Would have done it myself’

Minister of Justice Kiri Allan. Photo / NZME

Kiri Allan says she told RNZ she was happy for it to release the full transcript of a recording of her speaking at a farewell function from the broadcaster for her partner Māni Dunlop.

Allan said RNZ consulted her on Friday about the release of parts of the transcript of her speech under the Official Information Act.

“They engaged with us on Friday about what they were going to release. I said to them they were more than welcome to release the whole transcript, but ultimately that’s a decision for them.”

Yesterday, through a Herald Official Information Act (OIA) request, Radio NZ released a partial transcript of the minister’s speech which she made during Dunlop’s farewell from the organisation in March.

Dunlop, an award-winning journalist who had worked at RNZ for 11 years, indicated during her final broadcast on March 31 that she left because she was passed over for the “top job”.

The partial transcript that was released included allegations from Allan that there was “something wrong within the organisation that will not and has not been able to keep Māori talent and that is a question that I think deserves some deep reflection”.

“I’m in a spot of bother because it may have looked like I was directing them, so I certainly am not going to direct them again. But from my perspective, happy for that transcript of my remarks to be released,” Allan said today.

“I would have done it myself, but I was a little bit off the cuff for good, bad, indifferent, so I don’t have a copy of it.”

The partial release of the transcript comes just days after RNZ’s head of news, Richard Sutherland, announced his resignation and plans to leave the broadcaster at the end of July. In a statement, Sutherland said he was taking an extended break. It is understood his departure is not connected to the Allan issue.

RNZ’s response to the Herald’s Official Information Act request said the farewell was conducted in accordance with both tikanga Māori protocols and the protocols of how RNZ conducts employees’ farewells.

“In relation to the event, those protocols meant that there was an open floor where people could trust that what they said was for that audience only and they were able to speak openly and frankly.”

It said Allan’s kōrero was made as a direct response to the invitation, established at the start of the evening, for attendees to “challenge RNZ” if they wished to do so.

“She made it clear she was speaking as an individual on behalf of Māni Dunlop and her whānau.”

In the response, RNZ said she made brief comments that were critical of the broadcaster, which were first reported by the Herald.

“We are of the view that Ms Allan’s speech, made at a private farewell with family and friends present, where speakers were encouraged to speak openly, involves a privacy interest that should be protected under section 9(2)(a) OIA.”

RNZ also noted the sensitivity of the information, it being personal information of an emotional and private nature and the circumstances in which the information was obtained.

“In particular the strong expectation of privacy in the context of a farewell done in accordance with RNZ tikanga. Specifically, we consider that attendees have privacy interests that warrant protection.”

While the organisation released some comments from her speech, it said the remainder and the video and audio recording of the RNZ comments will be withheld to protect the attendees’ privacy.