McCully Murray: Maori Television Service Bill — Instruction to Committee In Committee Speaker Recalled 
McCully Murray: Maori Television Service Bill — Instruction to Committee In Committee Speaker Recalled 
[Volume:607;Page:4987] 
Hon MURRAY McCULLY (NZ National—East Coast Bays) 
: 
 The preamble includes a section on page 8 that is headed “Requirement for consultation when appointing the chief executive.” I have read that part of the preamble with great care and indeed the subsequent part of the bill. I have also read with some care material that the Minister has now been forced—and I use that word advisedly—to release under the Official Information Act which makes it very clear indeed why the Minister did not want us to know what has gone on in relation to the appointment of Mr Derek Fox as the chief executive of the Maori Television Service. 
I want the Minister to take a call and reconcile what is in the bill’s preamble with the facts as they are now clear to members who have read those papers. It is now clear that the appointment of Mr Derek Fox—formerly chairman—to the position of chief executive was nothing short of a monumental jack-up. It is clear from the papers that I have now seen and that have been released after the Ombudsman told the Minister’s officials their obligations under the Act that Mr Fox himself presided over the appointments committee process when people were interviewed. He sat in the board meeting while the report of that appointments committee was received and the other applicants seen off from the process. He left the room so that there could be a three-two vote amongst the directors of which one vote was a proxy. So Mr Fox who is supposed to enjoy the confidence of this Government and of the board in relation to the appointment outlined in this preamble actually got there by way of a process that he presided over that saw no one else emerge as an acceptable candidate and that saw Mr Fox leave the room so that he could be appointed on a vote of three against two of which one was a proxy vote. I ask the Minister how he reconciles that with the preamble to this bill and the requirements set out on page 8 and with the provisions that follow in parts of this bill. 
What has happened makes a mockery of what this Committee is considering today. Members are sitting here lamely debating a process that has already been completed. It was the result of a monumental jack-up involving the former chairman who had himself appointed as the chief executive. That appointment was announced on 11 February and I want the Minister to tell me how that is reconcilable with the provisions contained in the preamble on page 8. 
The CHAIRPERSON (Ann Hartley) 
: The preamble is actually on pages 2 3 and 4 of the bill. 
Hon MURRAY McCULLY 
: I am referring to the notes that follow the preamble in this copy of the bill. If the Minister is able to refer me to some other pages I will be very happy to be referred to them. 
The CHAIRPERSON (Ann Hartley) 
: I am sorry. The preamble is on pages 2 3 and 4. 
Hon MURRAY McCULLY 
: I want the Minister to take a call because these are important matters. We are debating in this Committee a bill that relates to a process that has been already substantially completed and the Minister cannot pretend that those actions have not occurred. We are in the process of debating a bill by which vast amounts of public monies have already been expended and contracts entered into—most important the contract for the chief executive. I want the Minister to take a call to explain to the Committee why those events have already occurred now that this matter is coming at this belated stage before the Committee for its consideration. I want to know as my colleague Georgina te Heuheu wanted to know why the Minister has taken so long to get this matter before the Committee when over 2 years ago—as I told the Minister yesterday—the Prime Minister said that this bill was taking too long and that the Maori Television Service needed a hurry-up. She raised the matter in Cabinet and no doubt gave the Minister a good kick in the backside and asked what was going on.