Clark blamed for SAS exposure

Former prime minister Helen Clark's handling of the Willie Apiata Victoria Cross medal in 2007 kick-started the "degeneration" of the way the media reported the SAS, Invercargill MP Eric Roy believed.

When contacted by The Southland Times yesterday, Mr Roy would not comment when asked whether his son was an SAS soldier. However, he said he was disappointed some media outlets had this week published photos of two SAS soldiers, including Corporal Apiata, in Afghanistan.

"I think it's absolutely bizarre we are affording name suppression to paedophiles but we are exposing people who have got their proverbials on the line."

Although in full support of Corporal Apiata receiving the VC, Mr Roy said he was nonplussed at the way it was handled.

Then-prime minister Helen Clark had broken "decades of tradition" by making the announcement personally. "It has kind of made the SAS a point of interest that has been too tempting for the media (not to) climb into."

Miss Clark, who is now the head of United Nations Development Programme, did not return calls yesterday.

But Labour leader Phil Goff said its decision to identify Willie Apiata in 2007 was taken after it received extensive advice from the SAS, the Defence Force and Buckingham Palace. "The advice was that it would have been impossible not to identify the recipient of a Victoria Cross, given its significance," Mr Goff said.

Media commentator Jim Tully said the media would not have published photos of the SAS five to 10 years ago but it had become more assertive in recent years.