Student's submission seen as offensive

Natalie Williams feels let down. Photo / Richard Robinson

Parliament has refused to accept a first-time submission from an Auckland student which, it says, was "offensive" because it suggested Prime Minister John Key should be employed on a 90-day trial.

Natalie Williams, 21, an event management student at Auckland University of Technology, wrote on the end of a form submission on the Government's industrial law changes: "Can we put John Key on a 90-day trial and sack him on the 89th day?"

Select committee clerk Graham Hill wrote back last week: "The committee considered your submission at a meeting on October 6, 2010, and decided that your added comments were offensive, and therefore did not formally receive your submission. The committee is therefore returning your submission."

Ms Williams, who has never made a submission to Parliament before, said she was shocked at the decision.

"I was really, really offended. They have basically taken away my freedom of speech. If every person that insulted a politician or a public figure was unable to vote or sign a petition, what would that mean for democracy?

"They are just finding ways to be able to not count people's signatures on a petition."

Ms Williams was asked to sign the form submission, produced by the National Distribution Union, at a major retail chain where she works part-time.

"What if that was to happen to John Key or another politician? It wouldn't be fair on them either,"' she said.

So in effect, her question summed up that the Government needed to think about the people it affected and the consequences, she added.

She did not belong to the union when she signed the submission, but joined after receiving Mr Hill's response.

"Dad said, 'That doesn't sound right, they shouldn't be allowed to do that,"' she said. "I asked my sister as well and she said, 'No, freedom of speech!'

"I took it to work and the union spokesman at work spoke to the union leader and said, 'No, they shouldn't be able to do that.'

"They said, 'Become a part of the union and we'll support you all the way."'

Hamilton East MP David Bennett, who is chairman of the select committee hearing submissions on the bill said Ms Williams's submission was one of five or six returned to the submitters because they were offensive.

The committee is due to report the bill back to Parliament by November 5.