There are calls for the appointment of an independent arbitrator whose role would be to protect free speech from arbitrary and politically driven attacks from the woke gate keepers in our media. The actions of the NZ Herald (or NZME) in “cancelling” Dr Michael Basset emphasize that this cannot happen soon enough.

Dr Basset, an eminent historian and well respected NZ writer wrote an article that was published last week in the Northern Advocate. NZME are the paper’s publisher and managing editor Shayne Currie, said the article was “unacceptable” and commentary from the former cabinet minister and historian “will no longer appear on our platforms.”

“It has failed our standards and should not have been published, we are immediately reviewing our processes to ensure it doesn’t happen again.”

Mr Currie and his woke minions need to understand they are operating on taxpayer money, and therefore they need to be far more accountable in decisions of this type. IMHO, cancelling Dr Basset is the act of politically partisan cowards, and if the decision is not reviewed then all taxpayer funding of NZME should cease immediately.