Hide Rodney: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
Hide Rodney: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
[Volume:610;Page:7902] 
3.  
RODNEY HIDE (ACT NZ) 
 to the  
Minister of Broadcasting 
: Was Dr Brian Edwards correct in his letter that the reason why NZ On Air originally refused to fund his show was “audience reach” and what is the criterion for audience reach for NZ On Air funding? 
Hon STEVE MAHAREY (Minister of Broadcasting) 
: 
 New Zealand On Air makes funding decisions at arm’s length from the Government. I am advised that in February 2000 it turned down an application for funding for a show on Prime Television in line with its policy to fund only networks with at least 90 percent potential audience coverage. At the time of the application Prime Television had an audience reach of 60 percent. 
Rodney Hide 
: Can the Minister confirm that the programme  
Edwards at Large 
 in the critical 18 to 39 age demographic had a 1 percent rating share last Saturday night registering an asterisk or a zero on the rating scale; that Dr Edwards’ show lost viewers for Television One following the  
Antiques Roadshow 
 and dare I say it  
Waking the Dead; 
 and that TVNZ staff have suggested that  
Edwards at Large 
 be renamed  
Six Feet Under 
? 
Hon STEVE MAHAREY 
: As entertaining as that might be programming decisions are based on the potential size of the audience and are a matter for New Zealand On Air. 
Mark Peck 
: What matters is New Zealand On Air required to take into account in deciding what programmes to fund? 
Hon STEVE MAHAREY 
: The matters New Zealand On Air takes into account in making funding decisions include whether other funding or sought resources have been secured by the programme; the potential size of the audience; whether the programme would promote New Zealand and New Zealand interests Maori language and culture or provide for the interests of women youth children persons with disabilities or minorities in the community; and lastly the likelihood that the programme will be broadcast. 
Hon Roger Sowry 
: Has the Minister ever received media training from Brian Edwards Judy Callingham or their associates; if so who paid the bill? 
Hon STEVE MAHAREY 
: I have no ministerial responsibility for who might or might not pay bills to Edwards and Callingham. 
Hon Roger Sowry 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. There are two issues involved. Firstly Ministers certainly do have responsibility with regard to who pays the bills through either their own departments or their own offices. If the Minister has had media training and it has been paid for through Ministerial Services or his own office he has responsibility for it from his own office and in that way controls that portion of his Ministerial Services budget. The other issue is that the first part of the question asked whether the Minister has received any training from Mr Edwards or Ms Callingham. He did not answer that part of the question. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: In so far as the first part of the question is concerned if the Minister has received training in his role as Minister he is obliged to answer that part of the question and I ask the Minister to do so. 
Hon STEVE MAHAREY 
: I have never received any training in my role as Minister. 
Heather Roy 
: Was he or his office in touch with Dr Brian Edwards before question time yesterday; if so who initiated the contact and why? 
Hon STEVE MAHAREY 
: Yes my office was in touch through my broadcasting adviser to clarify that the scurrilous allegations were indeed scurrilous. 
Heather Roy 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. The Minister did not address the final part of my question which was if he or his office were in contact who initiated the contact. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: The Minister did in his first answer. He said his office initiated the contact. 
Rodney Hide 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. The question asked who initiated the contact. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: The Minister said his broadcasting adviser had. I heard him say it. 
Rodney Hide 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: The member had better be careful because I heard it very clearly. 
Rodney Hide 
: Are you ruling that it was the Minister’s officer who initiated the contact? 
Mr SPEAKER 
: It is not for me to rule. That is what I thought I heard the Minister say. 
Rt Hon Winston Peters 
: Given that the ministry is claiming no knowledge of or not to have received the letter and somewhat conveniently Dr Edwards is claiming not to know whether he sent it is this not a case of all the players agreeing to lie in unison? 
Mr SPEAKER 
: There is to be no suggestion that any member of Parliament is telling a lie and I want the member to give an assurance of that. 
Rt Hon Winston Peters 
: I will rephrase the last part of the question: a case of all the players with the exception of the man whose life has been beyond reproach agreeing to lie in unison? 
Hon STEVE MAHAREY 
: What we have here I think classifies strictly as a beat-up. This is a letter that Mrs Hobbs’ office has no record of. No action was taken around this letter. The only letter that Mr Garner has is an unsigned letter. The status of that letter clearly has had no influence on any decision. Decisions made by NZ On Air were made absolutely appropriately and the House knows that. 
Hon Roger Sowry 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. During that answer the Minister of Education yelled out that Mr Garner had typed the letter himself. I am just wondering whether it is appropriate that a Minister makes those sorts of allegations against a media outlet in this Chamber. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Members can make allegations about anybody outside this Chamber—we have free speech. If members make allegations about people inside this Chamber they must be within the Standing Orders. 
Hon Trevor Mallard 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. I think the member has made a fair point. I know Duncan well. I apologise to him. I know that he could not compose a letter that well! 
Rodney Hide 
: Given that Dr Brian Edwards is over 55 years old lives on Waiheke Island and has to travel to TVNZ in Auckland for his work is  
Edwards at Large  
really this Government’s Jobs Jolt scheme in action and is Dr Brian Edwards the first recipient? 
Hon STEVE MAHAREY 
: I would enter into the humour of this but I want to tell the House that this is a programme funding for which was properly applied for by Television New Zealand not Dr Edwards and was properly allocated through the proper process by New Zealand On Air and therefore these allegations are completely misplaced.