Hide Rodney: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
Hide Rodney: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
[Volume:649;Page:18116] 
7.  
RODNEY HIDE (Leader—ACT) 
 to the  
Minister of Broadcasting 
: Would he expect to be advised by TVNZ if TVNZ recorded allegations of illegal behaviour; and has he received any such advice? 
Hon TREVOR MALLARD (Minister of Broadcasting) 
: 
 No and no. 
Rodney Hide 
: Has he seen or had any reports on the New Zealand blog  
Whale Oil Beef Hooked 
 at www.whaleoil.co.nz that contains a 2004 Television New Zealand (TVNZ) interview by Brent Fraser where a former fisheries skipper Wayne Crapper explains how Peter Simunovich’s boss and his lawyer coached him to lie to the scampi inquiry and to perjure himself in an affidavit; would he expect to have been advised of that? 
Hon TREVOR MALLARD 
: If that member wishes to trawl websites on political matters can I recommend he go to 08wire.org and view  
John’s Got a Crush on Obama 
. 
Rodney Hide 
: I raise a point of order Madam Speaker. [ 
Interruption 
] Sorry? 
Madam SPEAKER 
: Points of order are heard in silence! 
Rodney Hide 
: I fail to see how a reference to another blog could in any way shape or form be an answer to the question of whether the Minister had seen or had any reports on a blog. 
Hon TREVOR MALLARD 
: I indicated that I preferred the other site. 
Madam SPEAKER 
: The member may not be satisfied with the answer and others will judge the quality of it but it was addressing the question of blogs. 
Hon Marian Hobbs 
: Did the Minister look further into Mr Hide’s allegations last week that TVNZ had destroyed the tapes? 
Hon TREVOR MALLARD 
: I have received an assurance from TVNZ that no tapes were destroyed and that various tapes on this matter are held at TVNZ and at Simpson Grierson. I look forward—I must say more in hope than in expectation—to Mr Hide apologising for misleading the House again last week. 
Rodney Hide 
: Has TVNZ advised him that in the tape that it ordered destroyed in the newsroom but has kept on a shelf—[ 
Interruption 
] 
Madam SPEAKER 
: Would the member please continue his question. 
Rodney Hide 
: Has TVNZ advised him that on this tape it is alleged that Parliament was lied to that witnesses were coached to lie that at stake was an inquiry that cost tens of millions of dollars involving $140 million of quota— 
Hon Dr Michael Cullen 
: I raise a point of order Madam Speaker. It seems to me from listening to this supplementary question—and I have let it run for a little while—that it is now traversing the same ground that has been previously the subject of points of order in relation to matters being sub judice. My understanding is that Simunovich Fisheries is still suing TVNZ and presumably this matter is all part of the evidence in that particular case. If that is so then we should not be traversing it—not to mention that the Minister has already argued and noted that he has not actually received any material relating to allegations of criminal behaviour so the supplementary questions are scarcely able to elucidate that particular answer. 
Hon TREVOR MALLARD 
: Speaking to the point of order I can confirm that I am advised that TVNZ is involved in live civil proceedings:  
Simunovich Fisheries Ltd and others v Television New Zealand and others 
 as well as the related live proceedings  
Peters v Television New Zealand and others 
. 
Madam SPEAKER 
: I think if the matters are before the court and are live—and I understand that there are defamation proceedings—the member is perfectly entitled to ask general questions as he knows and as he has been told before but not to repeat specific allegations that have been made by others. 
Rodney Hide 
: Would the Minister expect to be advised by TVNZ that it had evidence that Parliament had been misled in a systematic and conspiratorial way; if not why not? 
Hon TREVOR MALLARD 
: No; because if it is a programming matter advising me would be a breach of the Television New Zealand Act 2003. If that member wants Ministers to be involved in approval of news reporting he should go live in Zimbabwe.