Gudgeon Bill: Maori Television Service Bill — In Committee 
Gudgeon Bill: Maori Television Service Bill — In Committee 
[Volume:607;Page:5026] 
BILL GUDGEON (NZ First) 
: 
 Clause 62 in Part 2 refers to “a report on compliance by the Service with its policy of being a good employer (in the context of the purpose of the Service) including a report on its equal opportunities programme;”. What is the Minister’s definition of a good employee? Is that found out in the initial interview or will the employer wait to see how well the employee works? Clause 62(2)(e) states: “a report on the number of employees who during the financial year received remuneration and other benefits in their capacity as employees ...”. We are looking not only at remuneration but also at the performance of employees. What about the report on the total value of remuneration and other benefits received by each director of the board during the financial year? How will their performances be evaluated? In my last employment as a lecturer at the Waikato Institute of Technology I remember that for every course taken we as tutors and lecturers were evaluated on our performances. By whom?—by the students we were involved with; we had no part in the decision on that. Where does this legislation cover the employees and the directors? I want the Minister to take a stand on that. 
New Zealand First will insist first on identifying how many people will learn the language; and secondly asking how many people will participate in the viewing of daily programmes. How many people will participate if there is a programme on learning te reo? What about the cost-effectiveness of the programmes and the accounting for the millions spent? We are driving a wedge home here in relation to being accountable—an audit of all employees from the chief executive officer down; of their performances and how they respond. If there are problems what are they? If there are successes what are they? What is the level of achievement? We are holding the Government to account. 
Hon John Tamihere 
: Oh get a life! 
BILL GUDGEON 
: That is why the Government is where it is. Has the programme met the need of every tribal area; if not why not? The Government says it is providing a programme for learning and for the retention of te reo and the teaching of tikanga. Have all those considerations been taken into account? 
There will be feedback from the tribal areas because it is their language their tikanga and their protocol that is being taught in the programme. If there is no degree of satisfaction they will tell the Government what to do with that programme. What would happen to the face of Maoridom again? The publicity would say: “There they go again!” so we are asking the hard questions. We want more accountability; we will ask what the result is of such-and-such a programme how the staff performed or except for the chairman are they there because of cuzzie-bro? 
Hon Dover Samuels 
: What about the board of directors bro? 
BILL GUDGEON 
: The directors are all included because in the end those people do not take it; it is the general public of Maoridom who are criticised and told: “There your people go again!” So I ask the Committee to please take into account clause 62 in Part 2 in respect of reporting on the performance of everyone involved with the programme. If the programme fails I will say: “I told you so.”