Mark Ron: Maori Television Service Bill — In Committee 
Mark Ron: Maori Television Service Bill — In Committee 
[Volume:607;Page:5078] 
RON MARK (NZ First) 
: 
 I want to focus a little more on new clause 76A. If I read that clause correctly it tells me that if this bill is enacted it will require the Minister to review the entire operation 5 years out from the commencement date. That surely must mean reviewing the structure the costs the uptake of te reo and the outputs—that is the number of people who will be speaking te reo that can be directly attributed to the performance of this television channel. Hopefully the review will also look at the appropriateness of spending the money on this programme as opposed to other programmes like Maori health. 
Pansy Wong 
: It doesn’t state that. 
RON MARK 
: But one would say that it should. I hope that the Minister in the chair the Hon Parekura Horomia or even the Minister of Finance who is here in the Chamber now will take a call to explain something to me. I have a fear that in reviewing the set-up of the service they will find that Maori have once again been set up for failure. Why do I say that? I will put some information out here in the Chamber that I have had put to me and I will leave it to the Minister to stand on his feet and tell me whether it is true. I have not heard his speech. We will publish the speeches from the Labour Party members on all these bills come the next election so that Maori can see just how much work that party did in the House or Committee on any day and what Labour members did to earn their money. 
I want the Minister to talk to me about why the Maori Television Service is not operating on Sky or why Maori television is not free to air alongside Television One and TV2. 
Jill Pettis 
: Which seat did the member win? 
RON MARK 
: That woman cannot help but interrupt men. She has to chip and chip away. She should sit down. I have been told that there is a satellite floating around up there in the sky called—I ask her to listen and learn something—the Optus B1. 
Jill Pettis 
: Not from you! 
RON MARK 
: The member should not be so nasty. It may be close to the adjournment time but that member should take a pill or something. The Optus B1 satellite is floating up there and I understand that Television New Zealand is operating on frequency 12456 symbol rate 22500 on a Forward Error Correction of three-quarters. I understand that TV2 is operating on exactly the same basis. I also understand that Sky is on that same television satellite. There are eight channels there for Telstra Saturn. 
The chap who pointed that out to me asked why given that Television One and TV2 are on the same satellite—which is free to air on those frequencies and symbol rates—Maori television is not on that satellite. Why is Maori television not operating off that satellite free to air in the same way as Television One and TV2 are operating and why does it have to go on UHF? The Minister knows why that is; he has some answers there. I would like to have the answers to that. I am told that if we were operating Maori television in the same way that Television One and TV2 are operating then the coverage would be nationwide. There would be no blank spots and there would be no issues of Maori sitting up in Northland and knowing that whilst $150 million will be spent on this project they will never get to see it. So I would like the Minister to talk to me about the Optus B1 satellite. 
I would also like him to talk to me about the failed Government bid. I understand that Television One and TV2 planned to form a contract with Telstra Saturn to stop Sky from ruling the satellites. That whole contract fizzed out. It was due to happen in August/September of last year but it did not. Sadly the Government folded and failed to keep up the pressure to stop Sky Network Television from freezing out other competition. However Telstra Saturn had a legal obligation to pay for two Optus B1 satellite transponders—that is TR4 and TR8—for the next 7 years. Part of that agreement set aside half the 54 megahertz transponder for TVNZ to distribute free to air. Why is Maori television not on that? Why is Maori television to be set up at a cost of $150 million ready to be chastised at the review in 5 years’ time—provided for under clause 76A—for blowing money for not having achieved its targeted outputs and for not having been able to identify how many Maori have taken up te reo? I have the horrible feeling that Maori have once again been set up to fail.