Lee Melissa: Radio New Zealand Amendment Bill — Third ReadingText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeLee Melissa: Radio New Zealand Amendment Bill — Third Reading[Sitting date: 17 March 2016. Volume:712;Page:9916. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]MELISSA LEE (National): Thank you for the opportunity to take a call on the final reading of the Radio New Zealand Amendment Bill. Before I actually get to the substance of the speech I just want to respond to the comments that were made by Ms Curran. Having been a broadcaster myself—having actually worked for Television New Zealand and having actually run a production company—sometimes having more money does not necessarily mean better quality. I am a proponent of local content and I think that has been put on the record. I support the work that the great many people in this country actually do to create local content and I celebrate that but more money does not necessarily mean better quality.This side of the House has been committed to ensuring that the New Zealand Public Service delivers more for the country and this includes the continuing support of our public radio broadcast service a service that is reliable and consistent for today’s listeners. The bill we are debating today will make a stronger statement about our plan to support good independent broadcasting. The bill of course has the Radio New Zealand charter as one of its core components. The charter states that the purpose of Radio New Zealand is to be a public broadcaster that works for all New Zealanders. It also provides a number of provisions that indicate how the broadcaster is able to deliver this admirable goal.We are now entering a new age of public broadcasting where many New Zealanders are now going online to listen to podcasts of Radio New Zealand shows from home to work and at leisure. Often I think a lot of people rely on the app that they have on their mobile phones to listen to Radio New Zealand as well and I commend the work of Radio New Zealand for creating a great app for the convenience of its listeners.More New Zealanders from different walks of life are also tuning in to listen. They are no longer listening to the programmes on the end of the old radio transmitter. They are also doing it time shifted as well—not only are they listening but they are also watching pictures on radio. I have seen many radio shows where they include pictures. In the old days when we were talking about radio it was radio with sound but without pictures and when we talked about television it was just pictures with sound right? But now there is a convergence in the medium and radio often also has pictures as well. It is modern technology that is actually providing that.It is also important to remember that most New Zealanders are no longer waiting for announcements—as I said we are time shifting. Busy lifestyles mean that we are never actually in one place tuning in at the right time waiting for that broadcast. Throughout the last week Radio New Zealand had a number of programmes that let us discover new and exciting stories about our country and the world we live in. I look forward to seeing what new ideas its production team has coming up in the near future.Members should also remember the role of Radio New Zealand as a lifeline during times of natural disaster. Radio New Zealand was a key service many Cantabrians looked to during the aftermath of the 2010 and 2011 earthquakes. The role of Radio New Zealand as a support entity with obligations to the Ministry of Civil Defence and wider emergency services must also be noted by the House as a key component of the community support role that it provides.Radio New Zealand as a broadcaster has over 500000 listeners a week comprising nearly 20 percent of the market share of audience. These numbers show how highly regarded the broadcaster is in New Zealand and I celebrate that.I should also note to the House that the Commerce Committee which I chair recently reviewed Radio New Zealand during our annual review process and it was great to hear about its current operations and how it seeks to tackle future changes in technology and also the listening habits of the audiences. It was also interesting to note how it is looking into the ethnic diversity of New Zealand’s population. It was looking into more representation in terms of programming representing the ethnic diversity as well as the content for the younger generation in the digital age.Indeed the Commerce Committee has had a long history with the bill as members opposite have actually mentioned. It began the hearings in 2009 and it is appropriate that now 6 years later this House can send a strong message to the nation about our belief in what the Radio New Zealand services should be achieving for the people of our country.As members of Parliament we have a duty to New Zealand to maintain Radio New Zealand as a key broadcaster for this country. We also have the duty to help the Government fulfil its responsibilities towards Radio New Zealand. These responsibilities can be fulfilled only through our recognition of the digital era we are in and the impact that it will have on the traditional mediums that for a long time Radio New Zealand has operated under. This bill actually works for changes and looks ahead to the future vision of our nation so that Radio New Zealand can continue to be a good public broadcast service. In summary Radio New Zealand is well trusted and will remain so in our country and I commend the bill to the House.