22 November 2012
Massey should defend its academic by ending lobbying relationship
TEU national president Sandra Grey says Massey University should immediately distance itself from Mark Unsworth and his
lobbying company Unsworth Saunders after his attack on one of its academics, Dr Mike Joy.
Mr Unsworth has been emailing Dr Joy in an attempt to stop him speaking up publicly on his area of expertise, the
quality of New Zealand's waterways.
The New Zealand Herald reports that Mr Unsworth wrote: "You guys are the Foot and Mouth Disease of the tourism industry. Most ordinary people
in NZ would happily have you lot locked up."
Massey University is a past or present client of the lobbying company Unsworth Saunders.
"We have argued in the past that public tertiary institutions should not waste public money hiring private lobbying
companies to have their voice heard by the minister for tertiary education or other public education officials," said
Sandra Grey. "However, that corporate relationship moves from wasteful to dangerous when the lobbyist in question starts
attacking academics for doing their job."
"Massey University should defend its academic Dr Mike Joy and end its business relationship with Unsworth Saunders
immediately. Other tertiary education institutions that have a business relationship with Unsworth Saunders should do so
too."
ends