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The
Christchurch Civic Creche Case |
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The National Party will
order an inquiry into the Peter Ellis civic creche case if elected to
Government, leader Don Brash has announced. Brash made the promise last
week in an email to Christchurch-based Ellis supporter, music tutor Richard
Christie. Brash told Christie
"if National is successful in forming a government after the election, I
do intend that there be a full inquiry into the circumstances of Peter Ellis's
conviction". Two years ago the
National Party leader and Dunedin MP Katherine Rich started a petition
calling for a Royal Commission of Inquiry into the child-abuse convictions of
creche worker Ellis. A justice select committee is considering what kind of
inquiry should be held into Ellis's case and is expected to announce its
findings before the election. Ellis told The Press he
had not heard of Brash's promise of an inquiry so could make no comment. His
lawyer, Judith Ablett-Kerr, said she and Ellis would be "most
happy" when they had written confirmation of a Royal Commission of
Inquiry into the case. Brash did not specify
what form an inquiry under a National government would take but his justice
spokesman, Richard Worth, offered one possibility. Worth said one option
was to have an overseas judge review the history of events and evidence in
the Ellis case, as was the case for Arthur Alan Thomas, who was pardoned
after being convicted of double murder. As in the Thomas case,
the overseas judge could order the Government to pardon and make reparations.
Worth, who is a member
of the justice select committee considering an Ellis inquiry, said that due
to strict secrecy requirements he could not confirm whether that option was
one being considered. Brash said in his email
that both he and Worth felt the select committee had taken too long to
deliver a finding on what kind of inquiry was needed. "He (Worth) and I
have both been concerned at the process which the committee has followed and the
delays which have ensued." Brash was also
concerned that while the committee may come to a conclusion, its findings may
not be followed up by a re-elected Labour government. "My understanding
is that the recommendation of the committee will be released prior to the
election but there is a danger that it may not be carried forward into the
next Parliament and may lapse," Brash wrote. Christie told The Press
he had contacted Brash because he wanted to know what would happen to Ellis's
chances of an inquiry under a National government. "If a select
committee can sit on the issue for two years and then Brash says he's going
to overrule whatever they say by having an inquiry, it just makes you think,
`what's going on?' and this issue is just not going to go away,"
Christie said. The Addington music
teacher said he supported Ellis because he felt the creche worker had not
received a fair hearing. "Like a lot of
people I thought there was something wrong about the case and that there was
a high chance he was innocent," he said |
