Directors apologise for Sir William Gallagher's Treaty of Waitangi comments
Monday, 27 November 2017
An apology has been made over comments from Sir William Gallagher that the Treaty of Waitangi is a farce.
But it didn't come from the Waikato business leader himself, rather it was issued by the Institute of Directors (IoD) organisation that invited him to speak at a function on Friday.
'The Institute of Directors wishes to apologise to anyone who was offended by the remarks made at our Waikato Branch Christmas event,' it read.
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It expanded on a brief Twitter apology sent on Sunday night.
The Institute of Directors apologises for any offence caused at our Waikato Branch Christmas event. These views were personal and not reflective of the IoD
— IoD New Zealand (@IoDNZ) November 26, 2017
Sir William, chairman and chief executive of the fencing business Gallagher Group, raised eyebrows with the presentation, which saw several people walk out. He expanded on the issue on Sunday saying the Treaty papers on display at Te Papa were fraudulent documents and the concept of the Treaty itself was a rort.
'As a member organisation dedicated to the professionalisation of directorships in New Zealand, we believe directors have a leadership role. Diverse views are important, however, the views expressed at branch events of guest speakers are their own personal views, and in the recent case of the Waikato Branch event do not align with the IoD's view' the IoD said on Monday following coverage of the comments.
It also noted its commitment to Treaty of Waitangi principles, outlined the work it has done with Te Puni Kōkiri to foster Māori leaders in governance, and mentioned its Mentoring for Diversity that aims to improve diversity on boards.
'Many of our members, including our Chartered Fellows, are Māori and work with iwi, and we value these relationships,' the IoD statement said.
It did not respond to a question asking whether Sir William's membership was under review.
Sir William was awarded the IoD's highest accolade in 2005, the Distinguished Fellow Award. He was Knighted in the 2011 New Year's Honours list for his commitment to enterprise and his leadership skills.
During his Friday speech, which also included references to climate change, about half a dozen audience members walked out. An estimated 70 to 100 people attended the function.
One audience member who declined to be named said the speech was not well-received and had left some upset. He described Sir William as articulate and passionate during his talk.
'His speech started off all very convivial, with Sir William reminiscing … and then it went quite left field,' the man said.