Letter to the Editor: Govt denies muzzling workers, despite environmentalist claims

The Public Service Commissioner denies any government protocol restricting public servants from speaking publicly against seabed mining, after claims made by an environmental campaigner.

June Hosking, president of the environment group Te Ipukarea Society, claims that government workers, including those in leadership roles, are being restricted from speaking publicly against seabed mining.

Hosking and a group of “ocean lovers” are hosting a peaceful protest against seabed mining on Wednesday, September 18, at the Avarua Harbour, from 4pm to 5pm.

They are urging supporters to bring along their old and underused t-shirts and other garments to print a message about protecting the ocean, in order to spread the message further.

Hosking claimed that four individuals, who are working in the public sector and wanted to support their cause of protecting the ocean, told her that they were not allowed to speak against seabed mining as part of the “terms of conduct” and threats of employment termination.

They did not want to be named or identified due to fear of losing their jobs in the public sector, she said.

Hosking, who raised her concerns in a Letter to the Editor last week, told Cook Islands News yesterday that some of those interested in joining their protest were in leadership roles within the public service.

She also claimed that students had been told that they were not allowed to speak against seabed mining.

“With people who were saying they won’t come because they have been told they can’t and I just hope that anyone who cares about the ocean will come along and join us at the Avarua Harbour to just ask our leaders to protect the ocean and think about what they are doing,” Hosking told Cook Islands News.

“I honestly hope that people will be brave enough to just say if they’re being intimidated, people are so shy and I know they have to say ‘no’ because they’re getting paid by the government but that’s not true.

“Stand for what you believe and ignore that kind of intimidation and I think the more we will, the further we’ll go with our progress in our thinking and freedom of speech … Here we are with the freedom to say what we want and I just hope that people won’t be shy and feel intimidated.

While acknowledging that the claims made by Hosking are serious, Public Service Commissioner Carl Hunter said that he cannot comment on the truth of government workers being told not to speak against seabed mining “as it is certainly news to me and my team here at the Office of the Public Service Commissioner (OPSC)”.

Hunter also said that there was no such protocol instructing a government worker not to voice their opposition to a specific Government policy.

“As to date the OPSC has not received any such complaints regarding this matter, nor have I been approached by any public servant about it. In the event that a public servant has been instructed by their agency or employer not to voice their opposition about seabed mining or a specific Government policy or action, and threatened with potential employment termination, demotion, etc. if they do, then as the PSC I would be prepared to conduct an investigation if my Office was of the opinion that there was sufficient and reasonable grounds to do so based on the allegation or complaint received,” Hunter said.

“Furthermore, albeit it is important to note that instructing a government worker not to voice their opposition about a specific Government policy or action is not part of standard protocol, I wish to reassure the letter writer (Hosking) and the public at large that I will not tolerate any form of discrimination, intimidation or harassment of any public servant in their workplace in the event that they speak out against a certain Government action or policy.”

Hosking added: “I trust those people (government workers) and they weren’t making that up either.”

“During our protest years ago, there were some people who were just being bullied basically and some people just think that just because they can get a position with power, they can tell you how to live your life but they can’t.”

Hosking said that’s why they were holding the protest outside of work hours, from 4pm to 5pm, “after working hours, they can’t tell you what to do”.

Cook Islands News has also reached out to the Seabed Minerals Authority (SBMA) for comments.

Last month, the Cook Islands Seabed Minerals Authority sought community feedback on the Draft Seabed Minerals (Minerals Harvesting and Other Mining) Regulations 2024.

The newspaper contacted the SBMA on August 20 for comments on the consultation.