Letter to the Sunday Star Times editor in response to the editorial “Timing is everything”

Dear Sunday Star Times Editor

We read with disappointment your editorial last Sunday 10 March criticising the New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) for the timing of its release of information relating to allegations made by Stuff Circuit in The Valley.

Your readers may be interested to know that it was Stuff Circuit who dictated the timing. On Friday morning, shortly after 0800, Stuff Circuit asked the NZDF multiple questions directly related to their allegations and imposed a deadline of 1600 that same day. Shortly before the deadline was due to pass a Stuff Circuit journalist asked where their answers were.

To criticise the NZDF for the timing of its release without revealing the timing was imposed by Stuff Circuit seems to us disingenuous.

Your readers can make up their own minds.

K. R. SHORT
Air Marshal
Chief of Defence Force