Kedgley Sue: Television New Zealand Bill — In Committee 
Kedgley Sue: Television New Zealand Bill — In Committee 
[Volume:606;Page:3827] 
SUE KEDGLEY (Green) 
: 
 At least we are to be allowed some small debate on this part which is a relief instead of it just being rammed through. Thank you Mr Chairman for giving me the opportunity. 
I have a couple of points. First of all I would like to mention the fact that one of the consequences of this bill is that TVNZ will be cash-strapped because it will no longer have the transmission arm. The golden goose will have been split off. Therefore TVNZ will have to get direct funding from the Government. The Government has already indicated that it will give about $11 million to TVNZ. I would like to make it clear that I am all in favour of State funding of TVNZ but I would like it to be indirect not direct so that it can be used for political purposes. 
My concern is that the memorandum of understanding—which I have obtained under the Official Information Act—that discusses how this $10 million will be allocated and the reporting mechanisms makes it clear that TVNZ will not have to report on the per programme expenditure. In other words the Government will be giving $10 million or $11 million and whereas the money that TVNZ receives through New Zealand On Air is transparent and has to be accounted for on a programme by programme basis—the public can read about it every quarter—that $10 million or $11 million will just go to TVNZ and it will have no obligation to say how much money it has allocated to particular programmes and how it has been spent. Effectively the money can go into a black hole. Why should money going directly to TVNZ rather than going indirectly to it through New Zealand On Air be in any way less transparent? Why should there be different reporting mechanisms? Why should one be lax and the other transparent? 
That is one of many concerns I have about this bill and the fact that we will now see a cash-strapped TVNZ go with its begging bowl to the Government every year for funding. Every single chief executive and programmer will worry whether if he or she speaks out or if TVNZ does a difficult current affairs programme that really puts the Prime Minister or someone else on the mat it will find the allocation of direct funding reduced in the next year. Nothing needs to be said and there does not need to be any direct political interference; there just needs to be that constant threat to keep TVNZ in line and stop it from being a truly independent entity—a fourth estate whose independence we should be jealously guarding. I believe that the new financial arrangements will erode that independence. 
The most extraordinary thing about this bill is that with its passage we are creating a new State-owned enterprise. The new transmission arm will be separated out into a stand-alone State-owned enterprise. Not only has it been created at the last minute after all the select committee hearings have been completed but no reason has ever been given as to why we are at the last minute separating off the transmission arm of TVNZ into a State-owned enterprise. No explanation has been given.  
Brent Catchpole 
: To sell it off. 
SUE KEDGLEY 
: The member for New Zealand First has pointed out that the only reason that would be done would be to prepare it for sale—to sell it off. So why does the Government not come clean and tell us that that is the reason the Minister of Finance Mr Cullen intervened at the last minute with the assistance of United Future and suddenly decided that we should split it off into a State-owned enterprise? It is because the Government wants to sell it. It wants to make it a nice separate little entity that is ready for sale. Why does the Government not come clean and tell us instead of a hidden agenda being buried in the bill and an amendment coming out of the blue at the last minute?