Alexander Marc: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers Questions to Members 
Alexander Marc: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers Questions to Members 
[Volume:611;Page:8237] 
4.  
MARC ALEXANDER (United Future) 
 to the  
Minister of Broadcasting 
: Does he expect Broadcasting Communications Limited to remain the broadcast platform for the Maori Television Service; if not why not? 
Hon STEVE MAHAREY (Minister of Broadcasting) 
: 
 As the Minister responsible for Television New Zealand Ltd which owns BCL Ltd I am advised that BCL is involved in commercially sensitive negotiations with the Maori Television Service about the provision of its transmission platform. As the negotiations have not been completed I cannot comment further. 
Marc Alexander 
: How can the Minister defend his Government’s continued interference in broadcast platform decisions when a Maori Television Service legal opinion states that “Government approval is unnecessary in any event”; and given that statement why will the Government not allow the Maori Television Service to broadcast off the most readily available and cost-efficient platform available to it—that is Sky Television? 
Hon STEVE MAHAREY 
: The Government is not continually interfering in this matter. However I point out that taxpayers’ money is involved and therefore the Government of course has an interest. 
Mark Peck 
: What is BCL’s expertise in providing transmission platforms? 
Hon STEVE MAHAREY 
: BCL’s customers include five national free-to-air networks; a number of community and niche market television broadcasters; New Zealand’s national pay television—UHF network; and national FM radio broadcasters. As well BCL provides telecommunication services to a wide and diverse range of customers including New Zealand’s major carriers Internet service providers and mobile radio communications networks. 
Katherine Rich 
: Is it not the case that the Minister will insist that the Maori Television Service uses BCL rather than use a cheaper service from Sky so that he can prop up a Government company already facing a $20 million capital gains tax bill which he forgot about when he demanded that BCL be separated from TVNZ? 
Hon STEVE MAHAREY 
: BCL is trading profitably as a company and I understand it intends to carry on being a successful business. If the member is referring to the so-called $20 million bill that will come from the separation I have already said in the House that we anticipate paying not one cent. 
Marc Alexander 
: Why is it that Ministers are personally able to interfere in what are actually commercial decisions regarding broadcast platforms for the service yet when we ask fundamental questions about its leadership and recent personnel departures we are told it is “an operational matter for the board” for which Government Ministers conveniently have no responsibility? 
Hon STEVE MAHAREY 
: I have to remind the member that I am the person who is the Minister responsible for Television New Zealand which owns BCL. Any questions he wants to ask me about this issue have to be about that one not about the Maori Television Service. 
Marc Alexander 
: Why did a Cabinet committee on Wednesday reject a Maori Television Service – backed Sky proposal to utilise one of its channels for the service when such an option would allow the Maori Television Service to go to air immediately and more cheaply; or is this just a case of the Government ignoring blatant commercial common sense so that it can line the pocket of its own transmission company with taxpayers’ cash? 
Hon STEVE MAHAREY 
: I did not notice the member at the meeting but I remind him again that I am the Minister responsible for TVNZ and for BCL. I am not responsible for the Maori Television Service. He needs to ask the people responsible. 
Marc Alexander 
: Why is it that $50 million worth of Government time energy and resources have been poured into the Maori Television Service on air—something it still has not achieved—whereas industry experts such as Jim Cross estimate that a mere $3 million would shore up regional local television stations across the entire country? 
Hon STEVE MAHAREY 
: Those are excellent questions and they should be put to the appropriate Minister. 
Hon Peter Dunne 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. The last answer from the Minister raises a very interesting point. We have a Minister of Broadcasting who is presumably responsible for broadcasting policy and we have a separate Minister who is responsible for the Maori Television Service. The difficulty that arises in terms of submitting questions is where they actually cut across two boundaries. It is sometimes very difficult to ask a question about the Maori Television Service that does not impact upon broadcasting policy and I submit to you that the type of answer the member received from the Minister saying: “Well you should be asking my colleague.” is not exactly satisfactory—given that overlap. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: It might not be satisfactory and I might tend to agree with the member if that were fact. The fact is—as the Clerk has just advised me—he is not the appropriate Minister of which to ask the question. There is a Minister who is responsible. That Minister should be approached. 
Rt Hon Winston Peters 
: I seek leave to table the 1½ page document between the United Future party and the Government in which nothing is covered at all. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Leave is sought to table that document. Is there any objection? There is.