Article Results In Reprimand (Press, 18 December 1985)

On 18 December 1985, the Speaker of Parliament announced that the editor and a reporter from "New Zealand Truth" would receive formal reprimands due to a breach of privilege linked to an article published in an October issue of the newspaper. The article was deemed an attempt to influence MPs through threats, which prompted a Parliamentary committee to conclude that both the editor, Alan Hitchens, and reporter, Chris Knight, were in contempt of Parliament. The controversy stemmed from complaints made by three National Party MPs: John Banks from Whangarei, Norman Jones from Invercargill, and Graeme Lee from Hauraki. They raised concerns with the Speaker, Dr. Wall, about the article's implications regarding the Homosexual Law Reform Bill. In response to the committee's investigation, "New Zealand Truth" claimed that it had no intention of influencing Parliamentary conduct and argued that its actions were in the public interest. Hitchens and Knight expressed willingness to apologise if found guilty of breaching privilege. Furthermore, the newspaper had settled with the three complainant MPs regarding legal proceedings, with the Leader of the House, Mr. Palmer, indicating that resolutions involved both a public apology and financial compensation. Considering that adequate redress had already been obtained by the complainants, the committee opted for a less severe penalty than might have been warranted in what it acknowledged to be a serious breach of privilege. Consequently, it recommended that both Hitchens and Knight receive formal written reprimands from the Speaker.

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