The attack on Erin Leigh

Erin Leigh predicted that the result of her whistle blowing on how Clare Curran was hired to push the Minister’s political agenda, would be that she would be attacked. And true to form Trevor Mallard did so the next day, labelling Ms Leigh incompetent.

Can you imagine the chilling effect that has on other whistleblowers – to have your name and reputation smeared under parliamentary privilege – you may be unable to gain employment in your profession again if they believe him.

Now I have no first hand knowledge of Ms Leigh’s competence, but here’s what her former boss, and his former boss have said (from NZPA story):

She won support from former ministry communications manager Neal Cave, who said her work was top-quality.

“She was exceptional and she was valued very highly. The best comms person I’ve ever worked with,” said Mr Cave.

Wow – the best he has ever worked with. So do we believe him or Trevor Mallard who said:

Erin Leigh had repeated competence issues

Maybe we turn to the former CEO Barry Carbon:

Barry Carbon, ministry chief executive until March last year, said he also had no problem with Ms Leigh’s work.

So who did have a problem?:

She claimed she had to change a draft communications strategy on climate change so often because Prime Minister Helen Clark’s chief-of-staff, Heather Simpson, kept ordering alterations.

So let us see if have this right:

1. The PM’s chief political operative personally oversaw the Environment Ministry’s communications strategy on climate change to make saw it fitted Labour’s political agenda
2. David Parker personally suggested or requested that a Labour Party activist and communications strategist be hired by the Ministry
3. The Ministry hired her, breaking its own rules to do so, without any competitive tender.
4. Several of the Ministry staff saw her appointment as inappropriate and as political interference, and Leigh resigned about it
5. The Minister’s Office tried to talk her out of resigning (not the Ministry)
6. Madeleine Setchell is hired as the Communications Manager for the Ministry
7. She is effectively sacked at the request of the Minister because her boyfriend works for John Key
8. Meantime the Electoral Finance Bill is introduced which will severely restrict third party and political party advocacy for all of election year instead of just the last 90 days.
9. And the same Bill will not restrict Government Departments such as the Environment Ministry from running a multi-million campaign in line with the communications strategy written by Heather Simpson and Claire Curran
10. By coincidence this multi-million dollar campaign will not mention Labour, but will use the same key messages, colouring and themes as Labour’s re-election campaign.

I hope the Environment Ministry will reveal exactly what changes Heather Simpson was making to their communications strategy.