Editorial: Collins shoots the messenger

OPINION: As soon as the comments of Police Minister Judith Collins about a Fairfax Sunday newspaper's attempt to test security at New Zealand rugby grounds began to be reported on Friday, it was clear something big was afoot.

Obviously Mrs Collins was not amused, alleging the Sunday Star Times had commissioned "a number" of people posing as terrorists to infiltrate stadia in order to test security measures with the Rugby World Cup 18 months away.

Emotive words like "insane" and "appalling" were liberally sprinkled through her comments as she suggested that the newspaper had seriously endangered the safety of spectators.

Mitchell Murphy, the paper's managing editor, was understandably reluctant to say much at that point. After all, his paper was working on a big story.

However, he did defend the investigation, explaining that plenty of careful background work had been done, and accusing Mrs Collins of "grossly" overstating her allegations.

In the cold light of day, with the story now published, it's clear both that the situation was overstated, and that there is cause for concern about stadium security. But at least we know now, while there's time to remedy the situation.

So, in the light of terrorist threats against major sporting events, including this year's Commonwealth Games in Delhi, India, is it legitimate to ask where we're at with security at our rugby grounds, 18 months out from hosting the Rugby World Cup?

Of course it is, and it's not enough for the powers that be simply to say things will be different next year, or to assume that isolated New Zealand just doesn't have to worry about those things.

The fact the event is a long way away is not a legitimate reason for security to be so lax as to be almost farcical.

Australia has loomed larger in al Qaeda's sights than New Zealand, given its more prominent military role in Afghanistan and Iraq.

So what if al Qaeda had decided their cricket team's tour of New Zealand was a good opportunity to strike against Australia?

If you agree with Judith Collins that the investigation was "insane" and a stunt, consider whether a media organisation that simply asked World Cup security bosses how arrangements were going would have found out half of what the paper going undercover did. No way.

What the response from Mrs Collins and some senior police officers smacks of is a minister and a department trying to shoot the messenger, knowing that they stood to be acutely embarrassed by the message.

It is not the media's fault that security at our rugby stadia is currently inadequate but it is part of its role to highlight such inadequacies.

When Mrs Collins and her department get their heads around that, hopefully they'll ensure the situation is properly addressed.

- © Fairfax NZ News