Shanks Katrina: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
Shanks Katrina: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
[Volume:654;Page:3015] 
12.  
KATRINA SHANKS (National) 
 to the  
Minister of Broadcasting 
: What advice has he received from officials on the regulatory review of digital broadcasting? 
Hon Dr JONATHAN COLEMAN (Minister of Broadcasting) 
: 
 After the election the Government asked officials to prepare a report that outlined the competition issues in broadcasting based on work done up to that point on the regulatory review. Officials concluded that the current broadcasting environment appears workably competitive and that there are no compelling indications of future issues. It also noted that there is currently no strong case for the introduction of specific new regulations for the broadcasting sector. 
Katrina Shanks 
: What action has the Minister taken in light of that advice? 
Hon Dr JONATHAN COLEMAN 
: The Government subsequently stopped further work on the regulatory review saving up to $300000 of public money in the process. We are now focusing our efforts on a forward-thinking programme of action in broadcasting. This includes an emphasis on contestable funding for public broadcasting achieving the transition to digital switchover and incorporating elements of the digital broadcasting review that align with this Government’s priorities. These include progressing work on post-digital switchover spectrum allocation regional television broadcasting and options for sensory-impaired viewers. 
Brendon Burns 
: Can the Minister confirm that in fact the Ministry of Culture and Heritage as part of that review favoured amending the Telecommunications Act to include broadcasting so as to “proactively manage risks relating to anti-competitive behaviour by Sky.”? 
Hon Dr JONATHAN COLEMAN 
: I note that that member has now been the Opposition spokesman on broadcasting for 6 months and that is the very first question he has asked. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: The Minister will resume his seat. There was not even the slightest attempt to address the question asked; it was simply a direct attack on the questioner. That is not acceptable under the Standing Orders of this Parliament and the Minister should know that. I now ask the Minister to at least address the question. 
Hon Dr JONATHAN COLEMAN 
: I was just getting round to that. Basically there was a range of advice there. We looked at it and he is taking that— 
Hon Trevor Mallard 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Point of order the Hon Trevor Mallard. 
Hon Dr JONATHAN COLEMAN 
: —advice out of context. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: I ask the member to resume his seat. I say to the Minister that he may not be a senior Minister but he will obey the Standing Orders. When I call a point of order for him to carry on is totally intolerable. I will not tolerate that. I have called a point of order here. 
Hon Trevor Mallard 
: The point of order is a relatively simple one. The Minister commented on your ruling in his reply. That is forbidden as well. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: It is and I noted it. I invite the Minister to answer the question succinctly. 
Hon Dr JONATHAN COLEMAN 
: I would just like to say that I could not actually hear your call for a point of order. I apologise but I could not hear it with the acoustics quite honestly. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: I accept the apology. 
Hon Dr JONATHAN COLEMAN 
: A range of advice was given in that briefing. The member knows there is a context to that advice. He has picked out one small bit but the broad thrust of the report is that there is no need to continue with the review and that member knows it. 
Brendon Burns 
: I seek leave to table the report of officials entitled  
Television Broadcasting Competition Issues 
. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Leave is sought to table that document. Is there any objection? There is none. 
Document by leave laid on the Table of the House. 
Brendon Burns 
: I seek leave to table a paper by Peter Thompson from Unitec’s department of communications studies entitled  
National’s Broadcasting Policy: Expedient Fictions Inconvenient Truths 
. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Leave is sought to table that document. Is there any objection? There is objection. 
Katrina Shanks 
: What other work is the Government progressing in broadcasting? 
Hon Dr JONATHAN COLEMAN 
: The Government plans to introduce legislation to enact the revised Radio New Zealand charter and will shortly introduce legislation to repeal the Television New Zealand Ltd (TVNZ) charter which will release TVNZ from the unworkable dual mandate the previous Government shackled it with. Recently publicly funded TVNZ 6 and TVNZ 7 were released to the Sky platform opening up that content to a further 700000 households. This Government believes in value for money and it makes sense that if the public is paying for content then the pool of viewers should be as large as possible.