Brian Rudman: Struggling to get out of the cultural quicksand

At last, an outbreak of common sense in the matter of the Department of Corrections and its use or abuse of Maori welcomes. It comes from Maori Party spokesman for arts, culture and heritage Dr Pita Sharples who says instead of bastardising (my word) the ceremonies of another culture, Corrections should create its own.

Hallelujah. A way forward at last. Though whether the entrenched hierarchy at Corrections, and for that matter the State Services Commission, will take the nudge is another matter.

Dr Sharples was reacting to Corrections' attempt this week to end the sexism in the department's Maori farewell ceremony that Onehunga probation officer Josie Bullock had complained about last year, a complaint which led to her being sacked for her troubles.

Chief Executive Barry Matthews said on Wednesday that in future "the less formal whakatau will be used". He explained that "key features of a whakatau include the same roles for men and women, which will be reflected in the seating arrangements, and the use of language other than Te Reo Maori if 'required'."

Dr Sharples rejected Mr Matthews' narrow definition, and the attempt to hijack a Maori ceremony, saying the form and content of whakatau varied from iwi to iwi. He suggested an alternative solution.

"I would have thought the safest and most appropriate function for a government department to take up is to work out its own welcoming protocols, without culturally appropriating those of another culture.

"They should have their own prison welcoming ceremonies and they can seat people where they like."

He added that if they wanted to add a Maori element, that should be decided on a case-by-case basis in consultation with local tangata whenua and prison authorities.

He also asked why the prison authorities had only targeted Maori in their press release on cultural practice when 35 per cent of prisoners were European, 11 per cent Pacific Islander and 4 per cent Asian.

"Are they saying that Maori are the only ones who have a culture?"

As an educator respected by tangata whenua and Pakeha alike, is it too much to hope that Dr Sharples' proposal might just have a chance of being accepted as the way out of the cultural quicksand, not just Corrections, but government as a whole has become entrapped in, in recent years.

It's the new All Black haka solution really. In rugby's case, they borrowed some traditional Maori and threw in a bit of the wider Pacific.

State Services Commissioner Mark Prebble is proposing other departments follow Corrections' path. But with Dr Sharples' "strongly objecting" to this "commodification of whakatau", Dr Prebble would be smart to take the hint and jump quickly on to the All Black solution.

Let each government department come up with a greeting or farewell ceremony that suits its culture. Who knows, some might even decide a speech, a handshake and a sticky bun is the most appropriate answer.

As for the Maori ceremonial with its mix of troubling, to some, prayers and sexist behaviour, let it return to where it is most comfortable - its own cultural setting.

Which brings us back to whistleblower Josie Bullock, who remains fired, despite Mr Matthews admitting that the department's change of policy is a result of her protests. He said "there was a potential conflict with the rights of women" in the existing ceremonial. It was not just a potential conflict, it was a conflict, and despite earlier protests by Ms Bullock and other staff members, the hierarchy did nothing until Ms Bullock went public.

For her sins, Ms Bullock got booted out for repeated acts of "serious misconduct" which "reflected badly" on her bosses. Her crime was to go to the media "without authorisation" to complain that she was forced to accept sexist behaviour in her workplace.

Mr Matthews is refusing to back down and the case now goes for mediation with the Human Rights Commission next month.

It wasn't Ms Bullock's behaviour that reflected badly on Corrections, it was the illegal workplace sexism within a public service organisation that she exposed.

Instead of hounding the whistleblower further, Mr Matthews should be thanking her for dragging him and his managers into the 21st century. And reinstating her with appropriate ceremony. Any suggestions?