November 30, 2017
Union calls on Peters to back off journalists
New Zealand First leader is refusing to be drawn on a union call that he stop harrassing journalists who reported on his superannuation overpayment.
Mr Peters has included Newsroom editor Tim Murphy and Newshub reporter Lloyd Burr in his High Court action against those involved in leaking his file.
He has asked them to provide their phone records, notes and documents, and labelled Mr Burr a National Party political activist.
E Tu journalist representative Brent Edwards says Mr Peters’ actions could have a chilling effect on New Zealand journalism and are incompatible with his role as Foreign Affairs Minister, where he should be standing up for press freedom.
Mr Peters says the union should keep quiet.
"I've filed already which means the matter as far as I am concerned is sub judice, so the only people I can talk to are the court and the judge. I'm caught by that rule and so are they but they are ignoring it, carring on so they can make comment whilst me, I'm constrained by the law," he says.
Brent Edwards says E Tu is not a party to the case and is free to comment on underlying principles of press freedom.
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