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International Law

: Open and Shut

Testing the limits of privacy and public office

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The resignation of NSW Minister for Transport David Campbell after revelations about aspects of his private life once again raises the issue of what if any right to privacy those in public life can expect. The answer appears to be very little. Campbell is accused of no wrong doing, but having presented himself as one type of person presumably for political advantage, the argument is that the media have a responsibility to test such claims and to publish in the public interest information that shows deceit. Evidence of deceit by a politician raises broader issues of character and fitness to hold office. Even Campbell seemed to accept this, apologising in his resignation statement to his family and the community for letting them down.

However politics probably trumped all else when it came to Campbell's future. The reality was that with the government already a basket case, the Premier couldn't afford to keep him in the light of these developments. As a former Police Minister who appears to have led something of a double life and with plenty of controversy about the Transport portfolio during his term of office the Premier and Campbell obviously judged nothing to be gained and a lot lost by him staying on. Another name to add to the list of NSW ministers to come a spectacular cropper in recent years.

Further debate on privacy, public life and the media ( hopefully the issue of standards as well) is sure to follow- starting with that Sydney Writers Festival session tomorrow on Press Freedom and the Public Right to Know where David Marr who has been on the air today decrying media reporting on Campbell as an unjustified invasion of privacy gets a chance to elaborate.

Full post as published by Open and Shut on May 20, 2010 (boomark / email).