Will Stuff follow the advice of its journalist?

Tom Pullar-Strecker writes:

But BusinessNZ is responsible to its members, not you or me, and it is its members’ opinions that matter most right now.

As a lobby group, BusinessNZ can allow companies to outsource their opinions on controversial topics such as tax policy and employment rights, so they can get their points across to politicians and the public without having to directly express views that might annoy some of their customers or staff.

At the same time, I would be surprised if companies in the telco sector, for example, which have been taking increasingly progressive stances on a range of social and economic issues, were entirely comfortable with all the statements BusinessNZ has been making.

Spark chose not to take up an invitation to put some space between itself and the lobby group on BusinessNZ’s Fair Pay campaign, with spokesperson Ellie Cross saying it “didn’t have anything to contribute to this conversation”.

Vodafone spokesperson Richard Llewellyn said it would have a closer look at whether it agreed with BusinessNZ’s representation on Fair Pay and “as members, provide any feedback direct to BusinessNZ”.

Tom seems to be suggesting that major corporates which are members of BusinessNZ should distance themselves from BusinessNZ’s advocacy against so called Fair Pay Agreements.

I’m surprised he is ringing up staff at Vodafone and Spark to see if they will do so, when he could just ask his bosses at Stuff, as Stuff is a member of Business NZ!