Mahuta Nanaia: Māori Television Service (Te Aratuku Whakaata Irirangi Māori) Amendment Bill — Second Reading Instruction to Committee In Committee Third ReadingText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeMahuta Nanaia: Māori Television Service (Te Aratuku Whakaata Irirangi Māori) Amendment Bill — Second Reading Instruction to Committee In Committee Third Reading[Sitting date: 19 November 2013. Volume:695;Page:14962. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]Hon NANAIA MAHUTA (Labour—Hauraki-Waikato): I am pleased to be able to make a contribution in the third reading to support the passage of the Māori Television Service (Te Aratuku Whakaata Iriranga Māori) Amendment Bill. It would be a great sign actually and a milestone in fact if members in this House were to continue to promote in 5 or 10 years’ time what is happening in the Māori Television space. There is innovation. There is excitement. If members in this House could point to a number of programmes there because they see it as reflecting the face of New Zealand then I think that that in itself speaks volumes for the contribution that Māori Television makes not only to broadcasting but to increasing the knowledge amongst many New Zealanders in many communities of just how vibrant our country is.On 28 March next year the 10th anniversary of Māori Television will be reached. There have been some ups and downs sure but by and large what we have seen in the broadcasting space with the contribution of Māori Television is a clear role for a Māori broadcaster to protect and enhance Te Reo Māori not just for Māori but for a broader range of New Zealanders. Why is this important? It is important because in our daily lives many of our children interact with all sorts of other children and they want to appreciate each others’ culture. Recognising the unique identity of our children is I think a step towards increasing tolerance appreciating difference and seeing the unique potential of our young people as they grow up in our wonderful country. I do believe that Māori Television has a part to play in this process.Parekura Horomia was the Minister who initiated Māori Television and he did it with a simple ambition: we want more of our kids to wake up in the morning being proud of who they are speaking their language and being unafraid to exercise their culture and their heritage in a way that can contribute to the well-being of their communities their whānau and their country.But let me say this: the types of innovation we have seen in Māori television are like when Te Matatini the biennial senior kapa haka competition is live streamed as it is happening on the day. I look forward to Te Matatini being live streamed from Christchurch to many people who will not able to travel there. Also what we have seen in terms of Māori Television contributing to the public broadcasting space is the promotion of events that some New Zealanders would have to pay for—the Tua fight against Cameron the Rugby World Cup. Those are two types of events where Māori Television said “Well actually this is a public event of some interest. We want to participate on this front.” I applaud its efforts to recognise that it can fill a certain niche within the public broadcasting space that contributes to the vibrancy of this country and that opens up a world of opportunity and insight to the Māori world view and more important to the global view of indigenous people.We have seen a number of innovations in the programming space. Some entertainment value has been got from my comment of being a mum of young children and being delighted thatDora the Explorer was going to be promoted in Te ReoMāori. Why? Because my children like watching all sorts of cartoons and I am really optimistic about their ability to access cartoons in Te Reo Māori because I can continue to uphold what happens in our home which is promoting and speaking as much Māori as possible but at a level where my children can understand. Having access to cartoons actually is one of those ways of doing that.In the Māori Affairs Committee we talked about some of the I guess concerns aroundTe Pūtahi Paoho as I had mentioned previously so as not to impede the bill but to raise with the Minister ofMāori Affairs our concerns about the governance body. The Minister has since said that he has assured himself that this is in hand and that this is something he will ensure will be given some attention in the ongoing governance arrangement between the Crown andTe Pūtahi Paoho.By and large we have seenMāori Television grow at a time where its budget has flatlined. We have seen Māori Television take the necessary steps to tailor its activities but not its imagination to its budget. It has a Facebook page. It is engaged in Twitter. Its programming engages the audience whether it is through Facebook and Twitter through 0900 numbers to vote on its various shows or by getting all sorts of people from all walks of life into its programming or into programmes that are promoted on Māori Television. I applaud that because I believe that in a country like ours where we have so much vibrancy and where we have so much opportunity to promote how diverse our country is a public broadcaster should be doing this. I believe that Māori Television is doing it very well.I do want to see Māori Television grow. I do hope that this bill is a step towards that. It is signalled within the context of this legislation that ongoing reviews will happen and should happen with the agreement ofTe Pūtahi Paoho and the responsible Ministers. But more important it continues to carve out a key role thatMāori Television has in the broadcasting space to promote the very best of our culture language and heritage to every New Zealander should they want to access it. I am delighted about the way in which the broadcasting landscape has been broadened. I look forward to the day when Pacific television emerges on that landscape because I can see—Hon Maurice Williamson:Mister Ed in Samoan.Hon NANAIA MAHUTA: —that this is a real opportunity to again reinforce—the Minister may make a gibe aboutMister Ed but that is more a reflection of his time and the one-syllable sentences that people of that era understood. That is why we all find it good entertainment value. But there is no problem with havingMister Ed translated into any type of language. If it means that the Hon Maurice Williamson will watchMāori Television because ofMister Ed then I say Māori Television has succeeded.The real point of this contribution tonight is to say that given that Māori Television is 10 years into its operation—it has had some ups and downs mainly ups—there is still a lot of entertainment value in this station there is still a lot of contribution that the station can make in the broadcasting space and there is a whole lot of opportunity for a lot of young people who see the digital age as an opportunity to engage their talent and potential in new and dynamic ways. I support the bill. I support its intent.Ki a koe te Minita ahakoa ngā piki me ngā heke mō ngā kōrero e pā ana ki tēnei pire nui te mihi atu ki a koe. Kia ora tātou.[To you the Minister regardless of the ups and downs of the speeches in respect of this bill I acknowledge you greatly. My thanks to us.]