Adams AmyBROADCASTING (ELECTION PROGRAMMES AND ELECTION ADVERTISING) AMENDMENT BILLFirst ReadingHon AMY ADAMS (Minister of Broadcasting): I move That the Broadcasting (Election Programmes and Election Advertising) Amendment Bill be now read a first time. I nominate the Justice and Electoral Committee to consider the bill. At the appropriate time I intend to move that the bill be reported to the House by a date that is 4 months and 1 day from the day that the bill receives its first reading.This bill makes changes to modernise election broadcasting and funding rules in the Broadcasting Act in time for the 2017 general election. The bill removes the opening and closing addresses so that parties can instead place this advertising in more flexible engaging formats using their allocation of funding under the Broadcasting Act. Instead of being limited to television and radio parties will now also be able to use this allocated funding for advertising in online media. The changes in this bill build on a unanimous recommendation for a form of election opening and closing addresses made by the Justice and Electoral Committee in its inquiry into the 2014 general election. Television New Zealand (TVNZ) and Radio New Zealand (RNZ) also support change in this area. The addresses are an outdated format and create an unlevel playing field amongst competing media companies. TVNZ and RNZ are currently required to provide free time for the addresses to be broadcast in prime time as blocks at the start and end of the election period. However fewer and fewer people are tuning into the addresses with TVNZ recording a 25 percent drop in average audience during the 2014 election opening addresses. Declining audience numbers even in a prime-time slot highlights that these addresses are losing relevance and are not as effective at engaging voters as they once were. These addresses are usually much longer than the short-form ads that parties choose to place with their allocated funding. This means the costs of production are much higher. Where parties use their allocation on the production costs of the addresses this is money that cannot then be used for more effective types of voter engagement. In light of declining voter participation it is particularly important that political parties are enabled to communicate and engage voters effectively and efficiently. The Government has agreed to a $750000 increase in the budget for parties' allocations under the Broadcasting Act to offset the broadcasting time lost with the removal of the addresses. This brings the total budget provided to $3.605 million. This is the first increase in the allocation since 2005 and the increase also recognises the loss in purchasing power since that time. By removing the cost to parties and broadcasters of having opening and closing addresses enabling equivalent time to be placed as parties choose and allowing the use of the allocated funding in online media we will be creating a more relevant way of connecting with voters and ensuring a better use of resources for communicating with the public during elections. Voters are increasingly choosing to get their information through the internet rather than through the traditional broadcast media of television and radio. However until now parties were prevented from using their allocated broadcasting funding in any online media. This bill will give parties that flexibility so that parties have the freedom to choose the type of advertising that they see as best suited to engage voters and to effectively communicate their messages. The bill does not make changes to existing election campaigning rules and safeguards such as total expenditure limits. Parties will continue to be able to spend their own money on online advertising while television and radio advertising remains limited to the funding allocated by the Electoral Commission using the existing statutory rules. Although not changing the meaning of the law the opportunity has also been taken in this bill to modernise the language of Part 6 of the Broadcasting Act on the recommendation of the Parliamentary Counsel Office to make it more accessible. The select committee process is very important and I encourage members of the public and other interested parties to have their say when the Justice and Electoral Committee calls for submissions. The committee is also currently considering the Electoral Amendment Bill which is related to this bill in that both deal with related electoral issues and recommendations from the committee's earlier inquiry. The Business Committee has agreed that these two bills be treated as cognate bills from the second reading onward. Given that both bills respond to the select committee's recommendations I am hopeful that they can be progressed quickly alongside each other so that changes can be in place and communicated to voters and parties well in advance of the 2017 general election. Having clarity and certainty as to the rules and how they apply will be beneficial for all parties in planning their campaigns. I commend the bill to the House.