McNair Craig: Television New Zealand Bill — Instruction to Committee In Committee 
McNair Craig: Television New Zealand Bill — Instruction to Committee In Committee 
[Volume:606;Page:3734] 
CRAIG McNAIR (NZ First) 
: 
 I take pleasure in speaking to Part 1. I too have concerns as far as the purpose of the bill is concerned. There has been a big change from the structure in the original bill which was to “provide for a Television New Zealand Crown entity group consisting of a Crown holding company with 2 subsidiaries one of which conducts a television business and the other a transmission business” to one that “provides for the existing State enterprise Television New Zealand Limited to be split into a Crown entity conducting a television business and a State enterprise conducting a transmission business;” and so on. 
I think the Hon Tony Ryall had a very good point. Four months ago this Government said the previous structure was set in stone. Now all of a sudden this Government has done a total turn-round. It has obviously realised that its policy-making machine—or whatever it is that its crazy ideas sometimes come from—does not work. 
I will also speak on clause 4. It states: “In this Act unless the context otherwise requires—equal employment opportunities programme” etc. It then goes on to state in the definition of “good employer”: “including provisions requiring—” and it goes on down to paragraph (d) which states: “recognition of—(i) the aims and aspirations of Maori; and (ii) the employment requirements of Maori; and (iii) the need for greater involvement of Maori as employees of the employer operating the personnel policy;”. It goes on to some other issues as well. It reminds me of the exact wording in the State Sector Act 1988—not that I was very old back then; at least Darren Hughes and I had been born at that point in time. The wording reminds me that the Labour Government has not changed its spots although it appears to be different and tries to be a new face of the Labour Party. 
Sitting suspended from 6 p.m. to 7.30 p.m. 
CRAIG McNAIR 
: I was saying that the Labour Government has not changed its spots. The Minister with responsibility for Auckland Issues thinks that the phrase I used was a bit outdated. But clause 4 after the definition of “equal employment opportunities programme” talks about recognition of “the aims and aspirations of Maori” “the employment requirements of Maori” “the need for greater involvement of Maori as employees of the employer operating the personnel policy” and so on. As I said earlier that sounds like the Labour Government of old—the Labour Government under David Lange. The exact same wording is used in the State Sector Act of 1989. Where is the creativity in this part of the bill? This Government has a new look but underneath it all it is the same Labour Government. Four months ago this Government said that the previous structure was set in stone then all of a sudden it made a total turn-round. 
Five years ago we saw the Prime Minister all dressed up in nice photos; she looked very nice in them but that was not the real Prime Minister. The photos of her did not even look like her much. That is what the Labour Government is like. It is all dressed up with window dressing but really it has no substance. 
Hon Dover Samuels 
: Hang on! 
CRAIG McNAIR 
: That got a bite! I have concerns about this bill especially about Part 1.