Dr Ian Templeton
May 25th, 2011 at 2:00 pm by David FarrarThe Dom Post reports:
Veteran political journalist Ian Templeton is to be recognised for a half-century of political reporting with an Honorary Doctorate from Massey University. The doctorate, to be presented at a College of Business graduation ceremony tomorrow, is in recognition of his contribution to journalism, the parliamentary press gallery and the New Zealand Press Council. He has been reporting from the press gallery since 1957. Massey University vice-chancellor Steve Maharey said Mr Templeton was a reminder that “old-style ethics and standards are just as relevant today as ever”.
Congratulations Dr Templeton. Ian is a legend who was still working at his 80th birthday. His analysis was as sharp in the 2000s as it was in the 1950s.
Tags: Ian Templeton
May 25th, 2011 at 2:15 pm
Good thing hes being given a doctrate because according to Bill English hes too old to be of any use and would be permitted to study for it.
Vote:May 25th, 2011 at 2:45 pm
There is nothing to stop him from preparing a thesis, the issue would be on expecting the taxpayer to subsidise a student loan for him – which is a matter of calculating the return on investment for his qualifications to the country, rather than the value of his degree. In my years at University, there were elderly people who were studying towards BA degrees, which were already 75% paid for by the taxpayer, who on top of that had student loans to pay the rest. Your estate is not required to pay back your student loan, it is canceled when you die.
Vote:May 25th, 2011 at 3:14 pm
The first time I worked in the press gallery, in the early 1980s, Ian was in the office next door (the Auckland Star).
He’d be frantically bashing away late into the night on his Imperial 66 and we next door would be alarmed what scoop he’d come out with next day in the Star.
Sometimes he did, but more often than not, I discovered, he was bashing out TransTasman
Ian (who I see from the above was working in the gallery well before I was even born!) has always been very much a self-effacing, humble but excellent journalist, never one of the aggressive breed that struts around the gallery today, full of their own importance.
His writing is so straight that I would not have a clue what his politics are, or if he even has any. One of his brothers was a cabinet minister, another a senior foreign affairs diplomat, but I doubt he ever used them as confidential sources.
He broke some great stories, including Muldoon’s move to knife Marshall in 1974, and the notorious tale of the SIS agent who left his briefcase containing a pie and a Penthouse in Boulcott St — outside Ian’s house.
Vote:May 25th, 2011 at 3:18 pm
ajh the old argument of your too old for us to get any use out of you when we’ve already had a lot of proven use out of you. It makes much more sense to fund a person of unknown quality with a 25% chance of failing out and being a permenant drain on the economy.
Someone who has don’t nothing to earn it should get susidized over some one who has earned it.
Economics and logic not really your stong suits are they capitald.
Vote:May 25th, 2011 at 4:43 pm
Well-deserved. Congratulations, Ian.
Vote:May 25th, 2011 at 5:00 pm
Second everything poneke says. Ian really is the epitome of everything a political journalist should aspire to be. Most notable of all his qualities though is that, despite having had family in the fray, as poneke says you’d be hard pressed to know where Ian’s own politics lie.
In a small pond like Wellington there’s inevitably going to be personal connections of all sorts between the players and the commentators, yet that’s often put forward as though it’s an excuse for sloppy journalism, unabashed bias or pathetic toadying. Ian has always shown it’s possible to be professional objective while others cop out by claiming it to be too hard. Long may his example show others the way. Congratulations.
Vote:May 25th, 2011 at 5:16 pm
Capitald has raised an issue that many may not be aware of. That is that student loans are written off when the borrower dies. This has, of course, encouraged many oldies to enrol at tertiary institutions (recruited in many cases by Wananga spruikers). What is the logic?; all other debts are a charge against the borrower’s estate. Peter Dunne, where are you?, or perhaps even Trev Mallard could tell us how his Government justified this situation.
Vote:May 25th, 2011 at 6:33 pm
Was his wife Russian? Is she still alive? She was my teacher many years ago..seconds thoughts , maybe she was another Templeton’s wife??
Vote:May 25th, 2011 at 6:44 pm
Was his wife Russian?
That was his brother Hugh, MP for Karori. Natasha.
Vote:May 27th, 2011 at 7:14 am
Credit where it is due humbly offered.
This is living proof is it not, that you can serve well, be ethical and true to yourself, and put in over half a century of unblemished service, and merit a smattering of comment in such a forum as this, while in other posts we froth and spittle en-masse to offer our half-baked judgements about the venal, self-serving and apalling types who so sadly typify the political scene.
Still, as Voltaire said of the Paris crowds upon his return from exile: ‘They’d come out in equal numbers to see me hanged.’
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