Heatley Phil: Television New Zealand Bill — Instruction to Committee In Committee 
Heatley Phil: Television New Zealand Bill — Instruction to Committee In Committee 
[Volume:606;Page:3753] 
PHIL HEATLEY (NZ National—Whangarei) 
: 
 I agree and my anger was rising along with that of Dr the Hon Lockwood Smith who took us back a couple of years to  
W3 
  
It’s Academic 
 and  
Here’s Humphrey 
. A large debate is going on in the National caucus team at the moment about whether we should move an amendment to bring back those programmes. We might very well do that because we know that their quality was superb and we certainly support our colleague Dr the Hon Lockwood Smith.  
Jill Pettis 
: You weren’t even born when those programmes were on.  
PHIL HEATLEY 
: The member is quite right. I was not born at that stage and the member had just retired so we were certainly at two different stages in the generational cycle—I was being born and the member was just retiring. I think the retirement age back then was 60 but members can correct me if I am wrong.  
I too am concerned about the charter in this bill which tells New Zealanders how they should live their lives. One thing I am quite interested in is the provision in clause 16(2)(b)(i) which according to Minister Marian Hobbs and Minister Steve Maharey states that Television New Zealand will “provide independent comprehensive impartial and in-depth coverage and analysis of news and current affairs in New Zealand and throughout the world and of the activities and public and private institutions”. Judy Bailey will step up—I am not sure what to—and deliver these things as we have never seen them delivered before. I say “Good luck! Good on you Judy!”  
Interestingly enough I’m dreaming that Judy Bailey wrote to me on 14 February—as is her habit. In that letter—I must admit it was a personal letter—she outlined all sorts of goals that she had for the future. I will have to write back to her and say: “Judy there is no time for the social comforts that you seek because you will have to improve the intellectual scientific cultural spiritual and ethical development of New Zealanders in a way that reflects their diverse beliefs.” That is what she will do; that is what she will involve herself in—the diverse beliefs of New Zealanders and their intellectual spiritual and ethical beliefs.  
I am delighted because I will walk the streets of Whangarei comforting all those who are on a spiritual journey. I will say to them that no longer will they have to travel to the Himalayas to talk to the Dalai Lama or various Sherpa people who might tell them where to go in order to find inner peace; they can watch Marian Hobbs’ and “Slippery Steve’s” Television New Zealand programming. People will be delighted; they will find spiritual enlightenment and personal development. I am absolutely delighted about that.  
The Minister will also include—and members will be pleased to hear it—programming and television news. I wish people in the gallery would stop stampeding out the door to switch on Television New Zealand at home wondering what they are missing. Come back; I am speaking! I know they are dying to see what Television New Zealand has in store for them but I ask them to come back. In programming we the mass audience we will see material that deals with every minority interest. That will be great! Every dope-smoking tambourine-playing witch doctor will be on our television sets from 6 o’clock on and by goodness it might even be that Judy Bailey has to brush up her act. That is what we will have—a mass audience that has to deal with minority interests.