Dunlop, an award-winning journalist who had worked at RNZ for 11 years, had earlier been tipped as a potential co-host on Morning Report, seen as one of the top on-air positions at the organisation.
Dunlop then quit RNZ after journalist and television presenter Ingrid Hipkiss was hired for the role, with Dunlop indicating during her final broadcast on Friday that she left because she was passed over for the “top job”.
At a leaving event later that day Allan - Minister of Justice and MP for East Coast who is engaged to Dunlop - was one of the speakers and The New Zealand Herald understands she made comments critical of RNZ.
She told the Herald while she does not have ministerial responsibility for the media and broadcasting portfolio, she sincerely apologised “if any of my comments or reflections said at Māni’s farewell made any person feel uncomfortable”.
“On reflection, I also accept that it could have been interpreted as me telling RNZ how to manage their staff or company. That was not my intent and it is certainly not my job.
“My sole intention was to speak on behalf of Māni’s family.”
Allan said she was speaking in a personal capacity but absolutely acknowledged and accepted that “I am a senior Government minister, and as such that there is not such a delineation in terms of public perception”.
“I was invited to Friday’s event as Māni’s fiancée to speak on her behalf, and the family’s behalf, to her employer of 11 years.”
“She was invited to the event in a personal capacity and was there as a family member.
“It’s natural and understandable for people to support their families.”
He said in this instance it would have been better if Allan, given her ministerial position, had chosen not to take the opportunity to speak.
An RNZ spokesperson told the Herald more than a dozen people took the opportunity to speak at Dunlop’s leaving event.
“They are private functions and provide an opportunity for whānau and kaimahi (workers) to gather to acknowledge, celebrate and support departing colleagues. Farewells include an open invitation for anyone present to whaikōrero (give a speech) and the free expression of views is encouraged.”
The spokesperson said the broadcaster was “robustly independent” when questioned about whether the organisation believed it was appropriate for a Minister to comment on Government agency decision-making.
In Dunlop’s last show she said it was during one of her first jobs as an intern at RNZ more than a decade ago, she discovered why it was so important for Māori to be in mainstream media.
“To tell the stories by us, for everyone with a different and often overlooked lens of the communities in which we come from.”
At RNZ, Dunlop said she had grown and been part of “incredible” historic events.
When she stepped into the presenter chair, she was the first Māori person to present a weekday show at RNZ.
This, Dunlop shared last week, was paved by many before her.
She went on to acknowledge several leading Māori media figures, including Mihingarangi Forbes and Julian Wilcox.
“To the haters, and there’s plenty of them, come on the journey. My mates know that your hatred doesn’t stop us, it fuels us, it inspires us and Aotearoa is moving in a beautiful direction and I implore you to not resist but to hop on that waka, or you will be left behind.”
Dunlop went on to thank her colleagues, whanau and her fiancée.
“Thank you for always catching me, it is not easy to navigate in our respective professions but we do it well and we do it with integrity. To our babies, we do this for you.
“I am a staunch public broadcaster, I believe hugely in what RNZ can do, and the role that it serves and it will continue to fufill as the media landscape transforms, I hope it does what it needs to to fufill its obligations to Te Tiriti.”
