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More than 150 Television New Zealand staff have signed a petition supporting a security guard who has been sacked for telling child safety campaigner Christine Rankin that her comments about Maori child abuse were "over the top".
Louis Rawnsley, 58, who has worked for TVNZ for 24 years, called Mrs Rankin over to the security desk as she left after appearing on the breakfast show on July 30 and told her what he thought of her comments about the four Maori men and one woman charged with abusing 3-year-old Nia Glassie.
"What I actually said was, 'That was a bit over the top, wasn't it?' " he said yesterday. "She responded pretty much with what she had been saying on the programme, which was, 'No, not at all. They [Maori] only make up 15 per cent of the population but account for half of the child abuse'.
"My response was, 'Don't you think it was a little unfair attacking all Maori over the actions by four idiots?' "
TVNZ spokesperson Megan Richards said Mr Rawnsley was sacked because what he said to Mrs Rankin was "verbal abuse".
"This was a very visible and aggressive challenge and completely inappropriate from any staff member," she said.
But Mr Rawnsley's union, the Engineering, Printing and Manufacturing Union, has asked for urgent mediation on the matter and TVNZ staff sources said the whole newsroom was "furious".
More than 150 staff have signed a petition asking TVNZ chief executive Rick Ellis to reinstate Mr Rawnsley.
Mr Rawnsley said his phone "hasn't stopped ringing" with calls of support from TVNZ workers, including a call from Close Up presenter Mark Sainsbury.
Mr Rawnsley's career at TVNZ dates back to before it moved into its present headquarters and he is on first-name terms with many regular guests on its programmes.
"I get on very well with a lot of them - Willie Jackson, Pita Sharples, they often come over and talk to me," he said. "I have always felt really free about being able to talk to guests, all sorts of people."
Mr Rawnsley is not Maori but he has collected 30 boxes of files on Maori history and culture since researching his English great-grandfather's work with Maori in the kauri timber business in Northland.
"That rolled over into researching Maori and Polynesian origins, which I have done for about 25 years," he said.
EPMU national secretary Andrew Little said Mr Rawnsley's dismissal showed a serious lack of judgment by TVNZ. "People like Christine Rankin can't expect to express controversial views without alternative views also being expressed," he said. "TVNZ has to understand that its employees are citizens too and must be allowed to express views, especially in important national debates like this."
Mrs Rankin declined to comment.
But Mr Ellis said in a message to staff yesterday that Mr Rawnsley's behaviour was "totally unacceptable".
"Guests on our shows and to the building, regardless of their views on issues of the day, should not have to put up with abusive behaviour from staff members but particularly those whose job is to be the welcoming and safe face of TVNZ," he said.
"I want to make it clear that this was not the case of a staff member having a friendly discussion with a guest or communicating a contrary opinion to that expressed by the guest. TVNZ makes no apology for expecting appropriate behaviour from its staff."
