TVNZ withholds emails, documents related to ex-political editor Maiki Sherman
Thursday, 4 June 2026
TVNZ has refused to release documents and correspondence related to the events that lead up to the departure of its former political editor Maiki Sherman, citing multiple reasons including privacy and confidentiality.
The Post made several requests under the Official Information Act related to Sherman’s conduct in April and May, prior to and following her resignation.
It followed pressure on Sherman, who left TVNZ suddenly last month, over two incidents. The first, the alleged use of a slur against a fellow journalist in the office of finance minister Nicola Willis in May last year; and the second, an investigation by Parliament’s Speaker Gerry Brownlee for an incident outside the office of National’s whip Stuart Smith.
The latter came after a complaint from the National Party’s campaign chair who alleged TVNZ staff followed Smith into an area of Parliament where media interviews aren’t normally permitted, and 'aggressively' banged on his door for several minutes. They were also said to have “pressured him about how he would be portrayed on Breakfast the following morning” if he did not come out and speak.
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The complaint resulted in Sherman being barred from working at Parliament for five days.
TVNZ refused to release a copy of National’s original complaint, and also withheld all correspondence about the incident.
In relation to the incident in Willis’s office, which Sherman referenced in her public resignation almost a year later, The Post requested details of any complaints lodged along with any internal emails about what had occurred.
Later, after it emerged that Newstalk ZB had attempted unsuccessfully to report on the incident last year, The Post requested any correspondence with other media outlets related to the event in Willis’s office and details of any legal costs incurred by TVNZ. It was reported that TVNZ engaged external lawyers after it received questions from a Newstalk ZB producer over the alleged incident.
Following Sherman’s withdrawal from a trip to Singapore with Prime Minister Christopher Luxon in May, a request was made for any correspondence related to this decision.
Information around how Sherman’s resignation was handled was also requested.
In total, TVNZ rejected 17 separate requests for official information. Only one request - for any footage TVNZ held relating to the Stuart Smith incident - was rejected due to the information not existing.
In response, TVNZ said that “to the extent it exists” information has been withheld for reasons such as privacy and to protect information which is subject to an obligation of confidence. Other information was withheld “for the protection of people from harassment”.
“TVNZ has considered the public interest under s 9(1) of the [Official Information] Act and acknowledges there is public interest in accountability regarding workplace matters,” the company said.
“However, TVNZ considers that given the information already in the public domain, that interest is adequately met without disclosure of the detailed communications requested and does not outweigh the strong privacy, confidentiality, employment relations, and privilege interests identified above.”
Tory Relf, a spokesperson for the Taxpayers’ Union, said that wasn’t good enough.
“If TVNZ wants to act like a private company when the questions get uncomfortable, then maybe it is time we treated it like one. Sell it while it’s still worth something,” she said.
“This is an institution that is publicly funded but refuses to accept the transparency requirements that come alongside it.”
Relf pointed to the situation TVNZ found itself in after the exit of its disgraced former Breakfast host Kamahl Santamaria in 2023. While TVNZ had similarly refused to release any documents to Stuff at the time, the Ombudsman later ruled that some information should be made public.
The Post intends to lodge a complaint with the Ombudsman.
Sherman resigned as political editor on May 8, citing “unprecedented” scrutiny.
“My role has become untenable and so I am finishing up with TVNZ today. I wish the team well,” she said, in a statement shared on social media.
Sherman, who has yet to speak publicly about the events surrounding her departure, went on to win political journalist of the year at the 2026 New Zealand Media Awards.
During her acceptance speech she acknowledged the stress she had been under in the weeks prior, but also said the honour reaffirmed she was “a darn good journalist”.
“I am courageous, and I am fearless when it comes to holding politicians to account, but that’s across the board, and I make no apologies for that.”
Sherman’s successor as political editor has not yet been confirmed.