Faafoi Kris: Television New Zealand Amendment Bill — In Committee 
Faafoi Kris: Television New Zealand Amendment Bill — In Committee 
[Volume:672;Page:18684] 
KRIS FAAFOI (Labour—Mana) 
: 
 Thank you very much for the opportunity to speak to Part 1 of the Television New Zealand Amendment Bill. The institution we are talking about here is very dear to my heart because I spent the majority of my journalism career at Television New Zealand. But I am very concerned about what this bill and the functions and purpose of this bill will do to that public broadcaster. A lot of mostly loyal mostly very experienced and very talented staff are working at Television New Zealand which outputs some of the best public broadcasting in the world. That broadcaster is one of the best. If we travel around the word and look at some of the examples of public broadcasting we will notice that some of New Zealand’s television born and bred right here in New Zealand is some of the best. Television New Zealand takes great pride in the quality and the production values of what it puts on air. Its programming is world class. 
I myself worked in a news organisation for nearly 10 years. If members have travelled around the world they will know that if they go to any major newsroom around the world there will be someone from Television New Zealand in a very senior position. Why is that? It is because of the public broadcasting remit Television New Zealand has had for years and years. Any major international broadcaster will have a Television New Zealand person working in its newsroom and calling the shots because they are experienced they care about quality journalism they care about the quality of their output—not just the journalism but also the production values—and they have standards and skills that are among some of the best in the world. They are some of the best in the world. Those standards and skills have come about from a long tradition of quality public broadcasting. But this Television New Zealand Amendment Bill puts all of that at risk. It puts all of that long history at risk. 
Hon Hekia Parata 
: How? 
KRIS FAAFOI 
: Yes it does. I can speak from experience; it puts all of that at risk because the standards of journalism that the New Zealand public have come to expect over decades will be gone in an instant. What will we have? National members ask how. What will happen when people tune into Television New Zealand’s  
One News 
 at 6 o’clock? They will be tuning in and the most important thing about that hour for Television New Zealand will not be the news coverage it will be the ads in between because there will be a commercial imperative in relation to the news. We will get a dumbing down of news quality and news content because the only thing Television New Zealand will care about is making money. The only thing Television New Zealand will be worried about will be making money. It is in black and white right there in the purpose of the Act. Clause 4 of the bill states that the purpose of the Act is to “(a) provide for the functions of TVNZ the Crown entity responsible for conducting a television and digital media business; and (b) ensure that TVNZ carries out its functions and maintains its commercial performance;”. “Commercial performance”—that is all this is about. My very good friend Peseta Sam Lotu-Iiga said if I were still working there I would get paid more. Well it is not all about the money I tell Sam. It is not all about the money. 
While we are at it it is not all about commercialism; it is also about the part Television New Zealand plays in the Pacific. Sam Lotu-Iiga knows very well that Television New Zealand’s  
One News 
 the 6 o’clock news is a big rater in Samoa. Television New Zealand’s  
One News 
 plays a very important function in making sure journalists are trained in and around the Pacific Rim. All of that will be gone because that does not make us any money does it? That does not make us any money so let us stop doing it. The quality of journalism around the Pacific will fall and I think that as a Pacific Island member of this Parliament Sam Lotu-Iiga should be very worried about that. 
This bill changes Television New Zealand from a public broadcaster to a commercial broadcaster pure and simple. So all of a sudden it is about the money and the substance of the stories starts to suffer. I can speak from experience because investigative journalism takes time it takes experience and it takes research. Investigative journalism in New Zealand is very important as the Hon Rodney Hide will know. It is very important to make sure one can dig to the bottom of issues especially around this sphere. Digging to the bottom of issues exposes issues of national significance. But that will be gone too because that does not make money. That costs money; it does not make money. So the commercial imperative will come over the top and all of a sudden investigative journalism at Television New Zealand will be gone. Under this regime news coverage will be more about as I said the ads in between the stories which will decrease in quality. 
Hon Georgina te Heuheu 
: That’s what we get anyway Kris. 
KRIS FAAFOI 
: So Georgina te Heuheu does not like the quality of TVNZ news now? Georgina te Heuheu would rather watch the ads.