Your say: Inappropriate texting

WARWICK SMITH/Manawatu Standard

TEXT APPEAL: A file photo of Helen Clark texting at Te Matatini opening pageant in Palmerston North earlier this year. A UK newspaper has reported that Clark was seen texting in front of the Queen at a meeting in the Ugandan capital.

Relevant offers

Your Say

Your say: Whaling protesters seized Your Say: Greymouth's war memorial pillars Your say: Noisy tui draws complaints Your say: Readers' earthquake reports Your say: School's 'one-metre apart' rule Your say: NZ First's donation to Starship Your say: Child support defaulters Your say: Accepting racial diversity Your say: Changing our drinking culture Your say: Dangers of cycling on NZ roads

Stuff readers have their say on where it is inappropriate to text from after a UK newspaper reported that New Zealand PM Helen Clark was spotted texting in front of the Queen.

RE: PM seen texting in front of Queen

Feedback (latest posts at top):

Texting during a speech or conversation is generally rude, yes, but I seriously doubt Helen Clark was asking Peter what he was having for tea that night or registering her vote on some kind of Idol show, when she texted in front of the Queen. As the head of a country Helen does need to be contactable at all times, and texting allows a ready and comparatively discreet response to urgent matters of state. Imagine if George W Bush had been able to text instructions while reading that kiddies' story aloud on September 11. Who knows what crises might have been averted!
Brigid Kelly

Isn't it extraordinary the rate at which politicians lately have been quick to jump on the "no recollection" (pathetic) excuse when confronted with some wrongdoing. These people are supposed to be our leaders and yet they are incapable of remembering details of conversations etc. If memory loss is a problem then surely it is essential that they now find "less taxing employment".
PaulNJ

This is just plain rude. There is almost nothing that happens in NZ that is so important that the PM couldn't, in fact, go on holiday for a week with no phone. We are a tiny country. We have no nuclear arsenal, miniscule defence forces and almost negligeable worldwide commitments. Terrorists ignore us (except for the ones up north, anyway) and there is little else to worry about requiring, as Sir Winston Churchill would have said, "Action This Day".If a matter was so amazingly urgent (for example, Wellington had disappeared in an earthquake) then the correct protocol would be for the PM to be discreetly ushered from the room to attend to communications in private.
Bill Smith

Is the PM checking her itinery of appointments? Is she using the calculator function to check how much pocket money to give Peter this week? Does she have her phone set to vibrate and has she just received an alert that there might be a napalm farm in the Ureweras because a bunch of Maori were seen on horseback on a grassy knoll - with - gasp! - rifles? Or that police have just spotted a Maori who looks suspicious because he is wearing camo gear and he might be a terrorist? Or that there is a gathering of several Maori in a car outside the dairy in Ruatoki and they might be be terrorists? Is she playing spacies? Is she sending Peter a 'saved draft' that she may be some time and to have the tea on when she gets home? Is she placing a bet? Is she downloading Led Zeppelin ringtones? Who knows? Who cares? And bugger the Queen.
Bernie Demuth

The Queen is out of touch with us commoners anyway. Whatever she had to say was obviously irrelevant and held no importance to the issues NZ as a nation face at this time and that's our PM's primary role, looking after NZ. Not my queen, and I think most readers would agree she's not theirs either. Anyone remember Prince Charlie nodding off while Helen was speaking last year?
Benjamin Hutana

To be honest, Helen Clark is the leader of a country, and while she is out of the country on business, keeping up to date with that country is a requirement of the job. It would be more embarrassing if she rang someone and started talking during the speech. but I dont think its anything to be worried about, but no doubt the media etc will blow this out of proportion as usual.
Charles

I think texting is a discreet way of communicating during a meeting. It beats having a cell phone ringing. Let's face it Helen Clark is supposed to be keeping up with everything in New Zealand while she is at these things. Considering most world leaders would not know how to text I think it shows our leader is keeping up with technology and she is good at multi-tasking, everybody has to be these days.
Dorothy Webster

I do not think it inappropriate for our PM to text during this speech - it shows that she is always looking after our interests even at such a venue. I received my BA in Art History which meant I had to listen to everything the prof said during a class at the same time looking at a slide presentation and taking notes as well. I learned to do these three things at once. Someone of Ms clark's intelligence would have no trouble with the simple multi-tasking you saw at this event. I think it is time the New Zealand media stops picking on people and start doing their job which is unbiased news reporting; you are not making many friends in this country.
Robert Noel-Bentley

I could easily be dismissed as being "old school" but given my love of and embracing of new fangled electronics I’d say NOT. Whatever the technology at our finger tips there can be no substitute for correct etiquette. In my book this means you switch your phone off when in meetings, public places etc. I regard it as a sign of gross disrespect to the others (be it the Queen or a staff member) to engage in the annoyingly distracting activity of texting while in company. I have banned cell phones from our lunch room. We have some great vigorous debate at tea and lunch and some I have found texting is a killer of this vital interaction. To round off we had dinner guests a few weeks back. While at the table one young adult hauled out her phone and started tapping away. I merely laid my knife and fork down and ask everyone else to do so as well until such time as she had finished. The phone seemed to disappear quite rapidly.
Charles Giliam

Not even even the PM can resist her Crackberry!
Sean White

So what? Who knows what urgent business the Prime Minister may have been conducting? Who, or in what circumstances this busy lady finds it necessary or adviseable is for her to determine.
Albert Morgan

Is it wrong to text when you're on the toilet?
Nick Trott

 I wonder if Ms Clark would have used her mobile phone on a marae.
Annie M

Helen Clark's behaviour was embarrassing, and shows an amazing arrogance and disrespect. I am ashamed that she is described as the leader of my country
Tony Griffin

This is nothing more than poor bad manners. It is bad manners to txt in front of anyone and more so that it was the Queen that she was txt'ing. It is no different to speak while someone else is speaking in the same conversation. Whether El Presidento Clark likes the monarchy or not she is our Head of State and deserves respect. We condemn young people for txt'ing whilst in company but our Prime Minister is doing the same thing. Clark is becoming more of an embarrassment to NZ every day.
John McCall

- © Fairfax NZ News