Source: Radio New Zealand
File photo. Maiki Sherman at Parliament, Aotearoa Media Collective
The Finance Minister says she shut down an event in her office last year after “offensive language” was used during a function she hosted for press gallery journalists.
Nicola Willis held pre-Budget drinks in her office in May last year where an incident between two journalists is alleged to have happened.
Political commentator Ani O’Brien wrote on her Substack page on Tuesday morning that TVNZ political editor Maiki Sherman allegedly used a homophobic slur against Stuff journalist Lloyd Burr, which led to the drinks in Willis’ office being shut down.
File photo.AM Show hosts Lloyd Burr and Melissa Chan-Green during their final show. screenshot
Nicola Willis told RNZ in a statement on Tuesday that she was “out of the room for a few minutes and returned to hear offensive language being used”.
“I ended the event at that point,” she said.
“The following day I checked in on the welfare of the reporter at whom the language was directed. He advised me he did not want to take the matter any further. I respected his decision.”
RNZ / Mark Papalii
In response to the allegations a spokesperson for TVNZ says, “we do not comment on employment matters”.
Stuff has also responded to the allegations in a statement saying, “Stuff Group stands by, and has complete faith in, Lloyd Burr’s account of the events and his conduct in Minister Willis’ office last May”.
“We will continue to respect his wishes not to comment further on what occurred that night,” a spokesperson told RNZ.
– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
