McCully Murray: Maori Television Service Bill — In Committee 
McCully Murray: Maori Television Service Bill — In Committee 
[Volume:607;Page:5019] 
Hon MURRAY McCULLY (NZ National—East Coast Bays) 
: 
 I take this opportunity to ask the Minister in the chair the Hon Parekura Horomia to explain some matters to members of the Committee and members of the public who are interested in this bill before the House tonight. The part before the Committee at the moment establishes the new Maori Television Service. That is contained in clause 7. The functions of the service are outlined in clause 8 and the powers of the service are outlined in clause 9. 
Clause 9 is an important clause because it fundamentally changes the way the Maori Television Service will be able to transact its business. Members of the public who are listening to this debate may be staggered to know this but for over 2 years in the establishment phase of the Maori Television Service as contracts have been entered into executives have been appointed directors have come and gone the affairs of the Maori Television Service have been transacted through the Ministry of Maori Affairs Te Puni Kokiri. In that regard the signature of the Minister has been sought on many matters and the signature of the chief executive of Te Puni Kokiri on many more because the absence of provisions like clauses 7 8 and 9 particularly clause 9 has meant there has been no lawful body available to transact the affairs of the service. 
So what we have before the Committee tonight is a very important part of the bill but it is also a very important opportunity for members on this side to ask the Minister to account for the way in which those powers have been used by his department and by himself to date. The first thing I want to do is ask him why that state of affairs exists. Why is it that a bill that should have been passed 2 years ago—a bill that the Prime Minister said publicly over 2 years ago she was getting pretty hacked off about the delays on—a bill that is so important to the Government and to the Minister has taken so long to come to this Committee? Why is it that clauses 7 8 and particularly 9 have taken so long to come to the Chamber so that the affairs of the Maori Television Service can be transacted by the directors and by the chief executive? 
Until this bill gets its final reading those matters will be discharged by the senior officials of Te Puni Kokiri. I quoted to the House yesterday I do it again today a statement from the Prime Minister on 18 March 2001. She said this of the Maori Television Service: “I saw it was going around in circles and so I raised it at cabinet and what we’ve done is brought a group of officials together to get the clear options up to the cabinet. We just weren’t getting any proper advice to be honest”. The Prime Minister said that 2 years ago. I ask the Minister in the chair tonight why it has taken 2 years to get from that point of absolute frustration on the part of our Prime Minister to today to even have these important clauses in Part 1 come before the Committee. The Prime Minister also 2 years ago said this: “We want some options—and fast ... I want some decisions. I want us to be in a position to make some decisions instead of seeing the issue go round in circles at a bureaucratic level.” 
Opposition member: 
: When was that? 
Hon MURRAY McCULLY 
: Two years ago the Prime Minister said that. And for the last 2 years the Minister who sits in the chair tonight has prevailed over a scene of absolute chaos. I want the Minister to stand and take a call and tell us why it is that these important clauses to give effect to the legal entity of the Maori Television Service have taken him as long as this to get to this stage. The Prime Minister was annoyed with him 2 years ago and I want to know how annoyed she is with him today. I have a pretty fair idea about that. [ 
Interruption 
] I know that Mr Samuels is pretty annoyed with the Minister as well and rightly so. He is a man who no doubt supports this bill—I do not. If we are to have a Maori Television Service then the legal framework should be in place that is contained in Part 1.