12. Broadcasting Communications and Digital Media—Public MediaMELISSA LEE (National) to the Minister of Broadcasting Communications and Digital MediaBroadcasting Communications and Digital Media—Public Media12. MELISSA LEE (National) to the Minister of Broadcasting Communications and Digital Media: Does she stand by all her statements and actions in the broadcasting communications and digital media portfolio?Hon CLARE CURRAN (Minister of Broadcasting Communications and Digital Media): Yes in the context that they were made and taken. Melissa Lee: How will she allay the fears of independent and commercial media providers that say there is a genuine risk that the Government through its owned media channels may become the only broadcaster in New Zealand"?Hon CLARE CURRAN: The Government is clearly focused on investing in funding for public media which in this country is woefully low and has undergone frozen funding for around a decade. Compared with other comparable countries our investment in public interest media and in our culture has been woeful in the last decade. We are aware of the pressures generally on the media sector. I do not believe there is any direct correlation between investment in public media and the impact on commercial television.Melissa Lee: Does she agree with statements by Stuff Ltd that an expanded RNZ+ service "will not achieve the desired end of delivering sustainable quality trusted journalism in NZ."; and if not what evidence does she have that the expanded services will deliver sustainable quality trusted journalism in New Zealand? Hon CLARE CURRAN: No and investment in non-commercial public interest media in this country—as I've said in my previous answer—and having a strong commercial media sector are two things that can coexist at the same time.Melissa Lee: Why is she continuing to pursue her existing plans for public media in New Zealand when her own advisory group has been told by stakeholders that "RNZ does not have the history skills experience or infrastructure necessary to fill [the] gap in local coverage."?Hon CLARE CURRAN: The advisory group which I appointed has undergone a first round of consultation largely with the commercial media sector and of course they would say that. The advisory group is currently undergoing another round of consultation now that it's got more time with a wider range of stakeholders and I look forward to their advice.Melissa Lee: Does she believe RNZ would be able to meet the needs to fill the gap in local coverage if she had actually followed through on her $38-million-a-year plan for public broadcasting prior to Budget 2018?Hon CLARE CURRAN: As I have said numerous times inside and outside this House the investment in this Budget in this financial year in public interest media is the biggest in a decade and it is a down payment on an ongoing investment in our national identity and our culture in our ability to tell our stories no matter where we are in New Zealand across Māori and Pacific and an investment in public interest journalism and an investment in our regions. These things are critical and I would hope that all of us in the House actually adhered to that and actually believed that.Melissa Lee: Supplementary?SPEAKER: No. The member has used her supplementary questions."