Adams Paul: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
Adams Paul: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
[Volume:608;Page:5835] 
12.  
PAUL ADAMS (United Future) 
 to the  
Minister for Industry and Regional Development 
: Does he stand by his statement in the report of the Screen Production Industry Taskforce that: “The Government is committed to creating an environment where the Screen Production Industry can grow and flourish in the international marketplace.”? 
Hon JIM ANDERTON (Minister for Industry and Regional Development) 
: 
 Yes. 
Paul Adams 
: Can we take it that Cloud 9’s decision to move to Australia was a logical response to the Minister’s call for the screen production industry to grow and flourish in the international marketplace; and is that move what he had in mind? 
Hon JIM ANDERTON 
: The Screen Production Industry Taskforce has reported to the Government. The Government is considering its recommendations which are wide and varied. It has provided $110 million in the Budget for responding to the recommendations of the various task forces so the Government is taking it seriously. There will be situations from time to time. In this case Cloud 9 has had a difference with one of our other State agencies Television New Zealand. I have done my best to resolve those matters in so far as Ministers can. But Ministers are prevented quite properly from ordering broadcasters or any other State-owned enterprise to do anything in particular that Ministers might want and I accept that is entirely proper. In this case Cloud 9 has made its decision. However Mr Thompson has indicated he still has business interests here that he wants to pursue. He is a permanent resident of New Zealand and he intends to stay here with his family. We just have to assume that there are irreconcilable differences between Cloud 9 and Television New Zealand and accept it. 
David Parker 
: What are the objectives of the Screen Production Industry Taskforce? 
Hon JIM ANDERTON 
: The coalition Government is committed to working in partnership with the film and television industry and one of its specific goals is to double the turnover of at least 10 New Zealand – based companies over the next 5 years. The task force has delivered its report as I have said. Ministers are now considering its recommendations and I am sure that the Government will give a positive response to this particular task force among others and that the industry will be satisfied with that and has a strong future in this country. 
Sue Kedgley 
: Does the Minister agree with the Screen Production Industry Taskforce report that television producers would have much more incentive to market their programmes and concepts internationally if they were able to retain and exploit their intellectual property rights; and given his commitment to creating this apt environment where the production industry will grow and flourish and so forth will he intervene to help producers in their dispute with TVNZ which is trying to erode producers’ revenue from the sales of their own programmes? 
Hon JIM ANDERTON 
: Anyone who knows my style in Government knows that I have already intervened about as much as I possibly could and as much as the Act would allow. A review of intellectual property protection is recommended in the task force report. The Government knows what that recommendation is. It is considering it at the moment and it will give its response to the industry in a very short time. 
Paul Adams 
: Why did the Minister dole out $1.5 million to a multinational corporation to set up a call centre yet Cloud 9 has never received any money from New Zealand On Air and simply wants the Government to stop TVNZ from contracting only to production companies headed by former employees because getting Government programmes on the State broadcaster is essential to attracting foreign investment? 
Hon JIM ANDERTON 
: One of the criteria for a strategic initiatives grant is that the development—in this case it will produce something like 400 jobs over the next 5 years and $200 million in export earnings—would not take place unless that grant was given. I tell the House that Cloud 9 has never asked for any funding whatever. It has asked for a relationship with Television New Zealand which it deems it has not been able to bring into effect. Government Ministers have done their best to mediate in that matter in so far as they can and they have been unable to do so. Cloud 9 has made its decision and the agencies responsible will have their own explanations of that which the Opposition is invited to pursue. 
Paul Adams 
: Why after Parliament explicitly implemented a charter requiring TVNZ to promote and support independent production houses exactly like Cloud 9 has TVNZ been allowed to commit such a blatant breach of its charter; and will the Minister take this matter up with the Minister of Broadcasting and the Minister for State Owned Enterprises? 
Hon JIM ANDERTON 
: If the member looks at the Television New Zealand legislation he will see that Ministers must not intervene in programming matters and the Ministers in this Government have obeyed that requirement exactly. In terms of the charter the charter does say that TVNZ needs to have a sense of social responsibility by having regard to the interests of the community in which it operates and by endeavouring to accommodate and encourage those interests whenever it is able to do so. I take the point that New Zealand – produced television and film production is part of that responsibility. The Government will have to consider in the immediate following period how that charter is being implemented and do the best we can with it. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: The Minister’s answer is too long.