A BETTER MAN

We watched today as a man who we had a huge amount of respect for, faltered and fell on his sword at what he saw was public condemnation for a minor infringement. Phil Heatley is a good man, a family man, a great father, a good husband and Minister the fishing industry had grown to respect.

We have met him a couple of times and there were those in the fishing industry who sought our advice of what sort of Minister he would be.

Straight and true, we said. Give him a logical argument and he will give you a logical decision.

So today, we lost that good Minister over a small mistake.

We got a call from a mate up north who said they were devastated - not for what he had done but the fact that he had resigned. He commands a lot of respect in his home patch.

We think it was a mark of the man that he made the decision to put his family ahead of his public office and the public glare that goes with it.We have a feeling that his resignation today was done purely to protect those matter most to him.

For that he will always have our respect.


We hope he does come back to the fold and sits in a Ministerial seat again. The seafood industry could do with his pragmatism and the country would be well served by a man of humility.

He is a better man.