Kedgley Sue: Radio New Zealand Amendment Bill — Second Reading 
Kedgley Sue: Radio New Zealand Amendment Bill — Second Reading 
[Volume:613;Page:10269] 
SUE KEDGLEY (Green) 
: 
 The Green Party is absolutely delighted to support this bill. We regard the review as basically a ringing endorsement of Radio New Zealand and quite frankly when one contemplates the incredible commercialisation of virtually all the rest of the media in New Zealand—all the television media and all the other radio stations in New Zealand—I think we should be deeply grateful that we have this public broadcaster Radio New Zealand. It is an oasis if one likes from the commercial pressures that characterise the rest of the media and from those constant advertisements and so forth. I am extremely grateful and express my gratitude every day for Radio New Zealand. 
I think it is very interesting to see the incredible sensitivity or reaction that people have had to the addition of the words “spiritual and ethical”. What on earth is the problem that everyone is getting their knickers in a twist about? I wish we had more ethical debate here in this Chamber and much more ethical consideration. Thank God that we are going to add the word “ethical” to Radio New Zealand’s charter. But we are not going to be teaching ethics on Radio New Zealand any more than we are teaching politics by having current affairs. What we are going to be doing I hope is hearing the ethical dimension on many of the important issues of our time and one that springs to mind is genetic engineering. If we had programmes contemplating the ethical dimensions of genetic engineering we would quickly realise what a folly it is to lift the moratorium. And as for “spiritual” what on earth is the problem in recommending that there be spiritual programmes that explore spiritual issues? 
 I think this is a wonderful development. I look forward to hearing programmes about Islam about the Jewish religion about Buddhism and about indigenous interpretations of spirituality. I think that New Zealand would be much better as a nation if we actually learnt a little about things like Islam and indeed about Christianity. We may better understand some of the conflicts that beset our world. So I welcome the addition of the words “ethical” and “spiritual”. The astonishing reaction of my colleagues to these particular words is something that I find incomprehensible. 
I would also like to comment on the fact that I am glad we are adding that Radio New Zealand will have to address all ages and not simply elderly New Zealanders. If I have any criticism of Radio New Zealand it is that it has at times in its current affairs become a little predictable and perhaps a little boring. It could do with a little bit of spice impetus interest and challenge. Perhaps the new chief executive will bring those qualities to Radio New Zealand. I was concerned when I read the  
Independent 
 and noticed that Radio New Zealand spent $250000 on legal fees last year. That is very disquieting and unfortunate. It is also interesting to note that it reduced its news budget by the same amount of money—that is $225000 was slashed off its news budget and $250000 was spent on legal fees. We find it deeply regrettable that we are slashing the news budget. If anything it should be strengthened if Radio New Zealand is to carry out its charter obligations. It is extraordinarily lamentable that it has spent all of that money on legal fees. Let us hope that with the new chief executive we will put all that legal fighting and the low morale behind us and that Radio New Zealand will begin a new era. 
The fact that there were only a number of submissions on this bill is testimony to the support that this public broadcaster receives in New Zealand. We need to be very very grateful that we can tune into a radio station that we know is as its charter states that it ought to be independent and that it provides genuinely independent current affairs that we can trust and that are comprehensive and impartial and not influenced by commercial pressures. We do not have as with Television New Zealand does current affairs programmes that are sponsored by the ANZ or until recently Mitsubishi Motors which obviously calls into question their ability to be impartial and objective. 
Thankfully Radio New Zealand news and current affairs are not sponsored by Mitsubishi Motors by ANZ or by any other commercial organisation. It is not dependent for its revenue on commercial organisations. It does not interrupt its broadcasts continually with irritating commercials. We should be profoundly grateful that we have such an outstanding service. We look forward to its new era under the new chief executive. We hope that the low morale we keep reading about will be turned round with the new chief executive. We hope it will continue to implement its charter and we are delighted we have had this review—a view that is quite contrary to the view of one of the previous speakers who said that this should not have been reviewed at all and that it should have been left to regulation. [ 
Interruption 
] I noted that he had was not following the mantra of his leader because the Minister of Broadcasting said he thought it was great that we had this review and that it was important we had it. 
Mark Peck 
: Not the review; the bill should never have gone to the select committee. 
SUE KEDGLEY 
: My view is that I am delighted that it has come to this House that we have been able to have this brief debate and that this is not yet another example of important legislation that is sent off buried in regulations and not ever able to be discussed. We are very very pleased to support this bill and to support the addition of the words “spiritual” and “ethical”. 
Debate interrupted.