Wikipedia is right up with the play as the Geographic Board gives us new place names

Whoever does the updating at Wikipedia doesn’t bugger around.

Mrs Grumble – undertaking some research for Alf today – was astonished to find Wikipedia (see here) already knew about the New Zealand Geographic Board’s announcement that it would seek the public’s input before making official changes to the names of the North and South Island. The Wikipedia citation steered her to a TV3 report here.

One aspect of the news is that the North and South Islands – which have been called exactly that for as long as Alf can remember – are not official names.

So the Geographic Board is going about a process that will make them official, which looks suspiciously like an exercise in keeping bureaucrats in jobs.

It was an exemplary performance, captain – but now you’ve got to walk the plank

Radio NZ has picked up the curious story of the departing chief executive of the Maori Language Commission but doesn’t take it much further than the Dominion-Post.

It reports her as saying says she’s proud of what she achieved in her three years in the job.

The item was produced by the Waatea News staff, and – alas – they don’t seem to have been much inclined to dig too deeply to find out what’s been going on.

We are told –

Huhana Rokx resigned from Te Taura Whiri following an investigation and mediation process sparked by a letter from staff complaining about her management style.

Mrs Rokx told Waatea News she’s leaving her successor with a strategy mapped out to meet the board’s objectives.

But Alf wanted to hear from the boss’s boss on his role in these goings-on and how much support Ms Rokx was given by her board when the shit hit the fan.

The big question: how come it’s the captain who must walk the plank when the crew become mutinous?

Waatea News tells us only that –

Maori Language Commissioner Erima Henare says Huhana Rokx’s performance was exemplary and her resignation was an honourable response to difficult circumstances faced by the chief executive, the staff and the board.

It’s not much, but it tells us something fascinating.

The captain’s performance was exemplary.

We can only conclude she has gone because her crew’s performance has been more than exemplary.

Staff get their Rokx off at the Maori Language Commission

Maori Affairs Minister Pita Sharples is keeping shtum about strange goings-on at the Maori Language Commission, on the not unreasonable grounds he does not comment on employment matters.

Let’s hope this does not mean he is indifferent to those strange goings-on, because it looks suspiciously as if we should be taking a closer look at the board.

A word with the commission chairman, a bloke called Erima Henare, certainly seems to be in order.

Alf gives this advice to Sharples on learning today that –

Maori Language Commission chief executive Huhana Rokx has resigned after an investigation over concerns about her management style.

Could Rokx be rolled by a fluency fuss?

There’s some bemusing stuff about a bit of workplace how’s-your-father at the Maori Language Commission in the The Dom-Post today.

A dispute between the chief executive of the Maori Language Commission and her staff has prompted the board to order an investigation.

The independent inquiry, conducted by Sir Wira Gardiner, was begun after some staff wrote to the board expressing concerns about Huhana Rokx’s management style.

Management style? Alf would be much more concerned about hiring someone with the curious name Rokx for a job in an agency charged with promoting the Maori language.

But what does he know about these things, eh?

Well, he can tell you (based on his reading of the Dom-Post) that –

Commission chairman Erima Henare has been acting chief executive since November 10, when the board appointed Sir Wira.

Both Mr Henare, who earned $58,150 from the board for the year ended June 2008, and Ms Rokx declined to comment personally about the dispute yesterday.

What’s more, Henare has hired Wellington public relations consultant Chris Wikaira to do any talking on the issue and management and staff have been told not to speak to the media. All media inquiries should be made through Wikaira.

But papers obtained by The Dominion Post claim staff members fluent in the Maori language use this ability to “show superiority” over their colleagues.

There have been at least two meetings between management and staff this year aimed at resolving the in-house problems.

One employee noted that, after one of these meetings, staff did not feel trusted and found their work environment suffocating.

Is that it?

Is it all about a pecking order where your position is influenced by your fluency in the language the commission is promoting?

Why should this be a matter of concern?

If you don’t speak Maori, or speak it poorly, you wouldn’t want to work there anyway, surely.

Alf would like to think the buggers who know a cow has four tits on its udder, and that you don’t milk bulls, and that wool comes from sheep could feel superior to those who don’t in the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry.

Likewise, knowledge of economics should push you higher up the perch at The Treasury.

Blokes are unlikely to prosper at the Ministry of Women’s Affairs.

And so on.

Mind you, we run into problems with this line of thinking when we get to the Office of the Children’s Commissioner.

Or do we?

Putting the outfit in the hands of a bunch of kids is unlikely to do much mischief because Alf doesn’t see it serving any useful purpose anyway.