Mediawatch Allan’s resignation sparks another at RNZ
A board member at RNZ appointed less than a month ago quit this week after making public comments on Kiri Allan's downfall and criticising media coverage of it. RNZ had asked Jason Ake to stop and the government said he breached official obligations of neutrality, but he was unrepentant.
A board member at RNZ appointed less than a month ago quit this week after making public comments on Kiri Allan's downfall and criticising media coverage of it. RNZ had asked Jason Ake to stop and the government said he breached official obligations of neutrality, but he was unrepentant.
Jason Ake (Ngāti Ranginui) was one of the appointments last month to the boards of RNZ and TVNZ that represented "an exciting new era for our public broadcasters as they continue to tackle the challenges of ... serving all people of Aotearoa now and into the future," according to Broadcasting Minister Willie Jackson.
"Looking forward to the mahi ahead," Ake told his LinkedIn followers at the time.
"Hoping to bring an indigenous perspective to the strategic direction at the public broadcasting institution," he added, honouring the advocacy of pioneers Whai Ngata, Derek Fox and Henare Te Ua "for a much more visible Māori perspective in RNZ's strategic direction".
But even before he could be inducted into RNZ or attend a single board meeting, Ake resigned this week in the wake of controversy over social media comments he made about the downfall of Cabinet minister Kiri Allan.
"When there's blood in the water the sharks circle, and they're more than happy to digest every last morsel and watch the bones sink to the depth. It's a bloodsport," he said in a Facebook post.
He also referenced former National Party leader Todd Muller, who recovered from a mental breakdown to resume his work as an MP.
Jackson told reporters in Parliament on Tuesday Ake has "often been quite vocal about issues and he's gonna have to stop".
RNZ chair Dr Jim Mather had already been in touch to remind Jason Ake of his responsibilities under the Public Service Commission's code of conduct for Crown entity board members.
"When acting in our private capacity, we avoid any political activity that could jeopardise our ability to perform our role, or which could erode the public's trust in the entity," the Code says.
Ake's initial Facebook comment was not explicitly or aggressively politically partisan. Most of the comments could be construed as a reflection on the media as much as on politics or politicians. …