11. Question No. 11—Media and CommunicationsREUBEN DAVIDSON (Labour—Christchurch East) to the Minister for Media and CommunicationsQuestion No. 11—Media and Communications11. REUBEN DAVIDSON (Labour—Christchurch East) to the Minister for Media and Communications: Does she stand by all her statements?Hon MELISSA LEE (Minister for Media and Communications): Yes including the clarification I made yesterday.Reuben Davidson: Does she stand by her statement that New Zealanders can just watch Sky News and is she aware of who produces Sky News' New Zealand content?Hon MELISSA LEE: Plurality is really important to me—that people actually have choices. Despite the Warner Bros. Discovery announcement I'm confident that New Zealand news media continues to have a diverse range of voices and perspectives available on multiple platforms. We know audience behaviour is changing. New Zealanders now access media in a variety of ways including on their phones. All media outlets are facing similar changes and that is why my focus is on wider broadcasting reforms to modernise our media systems and streamline the regulatory environment. I'll be closely monitoring the impact of the Newshub proposal over the coming months. As I said yesterday even with potentially the diverse range we do need to look after to make sure that New Zealand news is fair and New Zealanders actually have New Zealand news online as well as broadcast.Hon Kieran McAnulty: Point of order.DEPUTY SPEAKER: Yeah I think I'm picking up on the point of order. I'd just like to ask the member to repeat—there was a clear question. Is that the member's point of order about—Hon Kieran McAnulty: Do you know what I couldn't have said that better myself Madam Speaker.DEPUTY SPEAKER: All right. Could you just repeat the—there was a specific question in your question about—Hon Member: Sky.DEPUTY SPEAKER: Yeah Sky.Reuben Davidson: I'll repeat the question in full: does she stand by her statement that New Zealanders can just watch Sky News and is she aware of who produces Sky News or Sky News' New Zealand content?Hon MELISSA LEE: As I said I have actually clarified my comments as well. When I said that—DEPUTY SPEAKER: I think for the member if it's helpful it was really just about the production of Sky—that was the piece of the question that the member was looking for.Hon MELISSA LEE: Sky News that I was referring to actually is produced by Newshub.DEPUTY SPEAKER: Does the member have another question?Reuben Davidson: Who does she support: some of the most powerful and profitable companies that have ever existed or the local producers of online news such as the Gisborne Herald and the Ashburton Guardian and what if any plans do the Government have to support local media?Hon Chris Bishop: Point of order. Madam Speaker the Minister has no responsibility whether she likes it or not for the Gisborne Herald.Hon Kieran McAnulty: Speaking to the point of order as has always been the case members are able to ask supplementaries that directly relate to an answer provided by a Minister. Now in the answer given by the Minister she talked about her support for the New Zealand media. It's entirely appropriate for the member to seek some clarification on what she meant by that.DEPUTY SPEAKER: Yeah and look there is an answer—if the Minister has no responsibility that's an answer as well. So I would encourage—because if the Minister has no responsibility it's quite OK for the Minister to actually stand up and say that. That's fine.Hon MELISSA LEE: I have no responsibility for the production of the news but I can actually say as a former journalist I am very supportive of New Zealand's production of news.Reuben Davidson: What commitment if any can the media industry expect from the Government given that there were no commitments to media in the National Party manifesto or the 100-day plan?Hon MELISSA LEE: Thank you very much for that question. Considering the fact that when the Warner Bros. Discovery came for help to the previous Government's Minister of broadcasting and they said no I can say that that is a very rich question coming from the member. Perhaps that is actually new. Everyone actually understands that the media sector is struggling. This is a world-wide issue and there is no silver bullet that can solve this problem. However this Government is committed to working with the sector on ways to ensure sector sustainability while still preserving the independence of the fourth estate. There is a range of work under way that aims to ensure the media can continue to function in the current changing landscape.Hon Chris Bishop: What reports if any has the Minister seen into how much money the previous Government spent on the failed RNZ-TVNZ merger?Hon Kieran McAnulty: Point of order. As was covered in great detail yesterday by Speaker Brownlee such questions—points of order in silence as well so that's the second point. The first point is that Speaker Brownlee made it very clear that those sorts of assertions particularly from Government members asking Ministers are totally out of order.Hon Chris Bishop: Speaking to the point of order. Well firstly the question is most definitely in order in the sense that if questions about the Gisborne Herald and the so-called most powerful people in the media—which was Reuben Davidson's supplementary about three ago—are in order a question about a policy of just three years ago is most definitely in order. Secondly it is a matter of fact that the merger failed. It started then the previous Government decided not to continue with it. That is not an assertion. It's not political. It is a matter of fact. In fact the Leader of the Opposition at the time almost described it in those words.DEPUTY SPEAKER: OK so having had that discussion and those points of order I rule that the Minister has no responsibility for the previous Government. Does Reuben Davidson have—Hon Chris Bishop: Speaking to that point of order the question was about reports the Minister had received into that. I would have thought Madam Speaker as the new Minister of broadcasting she may have well received a report.DEPUTY SPEAKER: Yeah well I've ruled. We're going to move on. Has Reuben Davidson got supplementary questions?Reuben Davidson: Given the immediate crisis will she commit today as Minister of broadcasting to fast-tracking the Fair Digital News Bargaining Bill to ensure our independent media entities can survive?Hon MELISSA LEE: Thank you for that question. The bill is currently being considered by the select committee and I don't want to pre-empt their report. However the Government's position on this legislation will obviously take into account these latest developments in terms of wider media landscape. This Government is committed to working with the sector on ways to ensure sector sustainability while still preserving the independence of our fourth estate and avoiding market interference.