A doyen of New Zealand literature has compared plagiarism to drug cheating in sport because of the unfair advantage it gives over contemporaries.

And Professor Witi Ihimaera is buying the remaining stock of his new novel and publisher Penguin Group (NZ) is offering to take back stock from any bookseller who wishes to return it.

The debate continues about whether Auckland Unviersity has taken enough action against him.

Here is a selection of your views:

 

  1. 64
    comments
  2. Michael Meleisea (New Zealand)
    12:14PM Friday, 20 Nov 2009
    If Noelle McCarthy can keep her job then I guess Witi can keep his
  3. Chris R (Palmerston North)
    01:59PM Friday, 20 Nov 2009
    Absolutely not! Plagiarism is theft, he has stolen from another author. His continued presence at the University cheapens it. He ought possess sufficient integrity to resign.but he won't!
  4. ira heyder (Grafton)
    02:00PM Friday, 20 Nov 2009
    I concur with Michael from Himatangi Beach! Plus I want to do Witi's creative writing course next year at Auckland University. He's New Zealand's greatest living writer full stop!
  5. jontype (New Zealand)
    02:00PM Friday, 20 Nov 2009
    You can't get a degree with plagiarism so why can you win prizes and keep a job that relies on trust and mana. "Do as i say not as i do" eh! We seem to exercise double standards for reasons i do not understand.
  6. UKLawyer (Devonport)
    02:01PM Friday, 20 Nov 2009
    He should absolutely lose his position at the university and should have his recent award rescinded. Universities are built upon a foundation of research and plagiarism strikes at the very heart of what these institutions are meant to be about.
    As has already been raised, students can be failed, disciplined and even asked to leave the university. Why should any lesser standard be applied to a reputed academic who should realise the seriousness of plagiarism and should accordingly take more care over attribution? The "I didn't realise" defence simply does not wash in this type of case - the onus is on the writer to verify that everything is original or properly attributed. I wonder if the university would have been quite so forgiving with a non-maori academic? A classic example of white liberal guilt.