Southland Times
June 17 2003

MP slams Peter Ellis petition
by Stu Oldham

A petition to force a high level inquiry into the conviction of Peter Ellis is blatant politicking from a party desperate to consolidate its place in Parliament, Invercargill MP Mark Peck said yesterday.

National MPs Don Brash and Katherine Rich aim to collect 100 illustrious New Zealand names for a petition to parliament seeking a Royal Commission of Inquiry into the case.

They have already asked Invercargill mayor Tim Shadbolt and southern radio personality Marcus Lush to sign the petition, which the Labour caucus has been advised not to sign because the case has already been examined and no new evidence has come to light.

Three Labour MPs and former Labour Prime Minister David Lange signed it regardless, but Mr Peck said he would not join them.

"The chances of me signing the petition are absolutely zip," Mr Peck said.

"At the end of the day you have to make a judgement call, and my call is not to sign."

Peter Ellis was convicted in 1993 of abusing children in his care at the Christchurch Civic Creche. He was released in February 2000 after serving six-and-a-half years in jail, and after various campaigners claimed his conviction was based on faulty evidence.

Mr Peck said the Ellis conviction had been through an unprecedented amount of scrutiny – it survived trials, appeals, and a report asking clemency from the Governor General – and the latest petition was just "regrettable and blatant politicking" from a party "going nowhere in the polls" .

The petition threatened to blur the line between parliament and judiciary if signed by government MPs, and those committed to its ideals should dismiss "the letter to themselves" and put a motion to parliament.

"That is where they are more likely to make change – not by signing an attempt to get National MPs into the media."

But National welfare spokeswoman Mrs Rich said the petition was not about politics – it was about justice.

It was supported by Labour, United Future, Green, and National party MPs, as well as respected academics, workers and bosses from across the political spectrum.

Proponents had been careful to keep the "very personal" petition apolitical because it was too important to fail in the House, she said.

"This could have happened to any New Zealander and I'm quite frankly surprised by Mark Peck's approach." The petition will be presented to parliament on June 24.