Jackson WillieHon WILLIE JACKSON (Labour): I'm wanting to help the coalition Government today so I want to give them a recommendation. It's over their Ministers—and I really think there's a promotion in line for the Deputy Prime Minister—and the position we've been thinking of was broadcasting Minister because the current Minister is nowhere to be seen. It's ironic really that we would be promoting of course Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters given his long history of warring with the media. Of course he's blamed them for everything. I want Mr Patterson to tell Mr Peters this that in fact we will back him for that portfolio because ironically he became the best advocate from the coalition Government for the coalition Government when Newshub closed down. Winston Peters talked about it being a dark dark time in terms of democracy—and well done to Winston Peters—while the Minister of broadcasting was virtually nowhere to be seen. It was sad what she talked about she talked about the market ruling—it was a cold sad response.On top of that not even the Prime Minister now seems to have confidence in Melissa Lee. According to Shayne Currie from the New Zealand Herald she's been gagged by the Prime Minister's office not to do any interviews. So while the whole entire media industry is crumbling Minister Lee has disappeared basically—incompetent. Even if you look at her Facebook you wouldn't even know that she was the Minister of broadcasting. It's sad watching how this Minister has disappeared off the face of the earth. We're seeing a Minister completely out of her depth. As reported in Newsroom today apparently Melissa Lee rushed Cabinet proposals through without even consulting the boss. That's Winston Peters as we've been saying constantly today.The entire media industry has to wait now while Melissa Lee grovels to the boss that's the real Prime Minister Winston Peters in terms of trying to put a media strategy together. She can't even get the basics right. Now don't get me wrong we're not nasty people on this side of the House. I'm not calling for the broadcasting Minister's resignation.Hon Member: Why not?Hon WILLIE JACKSON: I'm a good person—you know Mr Speaker. But in her own words she won't do media interviews because—in her own words—she's boring". Her words not mine. And when she's interviewed by the media she shrugs her shoulders and blames the free market and she says "Look I'm a bit incomprehensible and incompetent." you know and I want to help we want to help her. But we are not as I said calling for her resignation; not yet anyway. Because you know we think she may have something to offer but voices within the media industry are asking for her resignation and who can blame them? The industry needs a champion it needs support and understanding of the media landscape not a Minister who suggests the alternative to news is to simply watch Sky and who considers media policy as boring.There are solutions in the industry at the moment solutions like the Fair Digital News Bargaining Bill which you won't support despite people in the industry crying out for it the Ashburton Guardian the Gisborne Herald the Otago Daily Times. This is a bill that the National Party should be supporting. It could bring hundreds of millions of dollars into the industry hundreds of millions of dollars. But they won't support it because they're in the pocket of the lobbyists. They're in the pocket—we all know this they're in the pockets of the property developers and they're in the pockets of the—[Speaker gets to his feet.] They're not Mr Speaker?SPEAKER: No no you can't.Hon Damien O'Connor: They are you're just not allowed to say it.SPEAKER: Mr O'Connor you'll be withdrawing and apologising too. But just withdraw and apologise to that. You can't suggest that other people are in the pocket of someone else. The member knows himself that such an allegation has had to be withdrawn in his own case. So it's not unusual.Hon WILLIE JACKSON: I withdraw and apologise Mr Speaker. Certainly there's some question marks anyway. In terms of why is National not supporting—[Speaker gets to his feet.] Oh Mr Speaker come on.SPEAKER: The member knows he's been here a long time. He's probably been the cause of more rulings of these sort of matters than most other members of the House. He will know that you can't withdraw and apologise and then immediately qualify the withdrawal apology. So let's just leave it here. Carry on—I hope your time has been stopped has it? That's good. So let's make the next 45 seconds something spectacular and wonderful on behalf of the member.Hon WILLIE JACKSON: Thank you Mr Speaker. Well I was just saying you know you've got to ask the questions why they're not supporting a digital bargaining bill that will return hundreds of millions of dollars back into the industry. The industry is demanding it.I want to finish off by saying Melissa Lee to the media industry is what disability Minister Penny Simmonds is to the disability seeker sector. Utterly hopeless.Hon Kieran McAnulty: Hopeless.Hon WILLIE JACKSON: Totally agree with Kieran McAnulty there. We're worried on this side of the House in terms of where we are with democracy. There's a byline that everybody should know from the Washington Post which is: "Democracy dies in darkness". And we see from the TVNZ newsroom job losses and massive Newshub job losses and it's apparent that democracy does die in darkness and all broadcasting Minister Melissa Lee is doing is turning off the lights. Kia ora Mr Speaker."