One of the boys.

Witi Ihimaera, novelist and Auckland University professor, was in a plagiarism row last week over his new novel, ‘The Torwenna Sea,’ which included uncredited material from books written by other writers. Ihimaera has apologised and as good as admitted plagiarism. Yet today he was named as a New Zealand's Arts Foundation Laureates for 2009 and awarded $50,000.   

According to Auckland University dean of arts, Associate Professor Jan Crosthwaite, Ihimaera’s plagiarism had been investigated and it was found that there was no deliberate wrongdoing. This follows the Race Relations Conciliator’s obsequious judgement on Hone Hariwera’s inflammatory comments and is equally hypocritical.  

Ihimaera belongs to an academic clique that changes the rules according to who is breaking them. On this occasion it was blatantly one of them. Had it been a student cribbing someone else’s work for an essay, the consequence would not have been a reward of a title and $50,000. but the boot. 

As far as I’m concerned it is not only Witi Ihimaera’s reputation that has been diminished by this affair.