Curran Clare: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
Curran Clare: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
[Volume:677;Page:668] 
12. 
CLARE CURRAN (Labour—Dunedin South) 
 to the  
Minister of Broadcasting 
: Does he stand by his primary answer to Oral Question No 11 on Wednesday 15 February 2012? 
Hon TONY RYALL (Minister of Health) 
 on behalf of the Minister of Broadcasting: Yes. 
Clare Curran 
: Has he or his office received an email dated 18 January with an attached report from the chair of the New Zealand On Air board Neil Walter entitled “This story seems to have taken on a life of its own” which devotes several paragraphs to addressing conflict of interest matters of “one particular member of the board”? 
Hon TONY RYALL 
: Yes the Minister has received that email but I think we would have to be quite clear that it is an email that is more about how New Zealand On Air was dealing with inquiries from the media on that issue. That is an article that it was circulating. 
Clare Curran 
: Has he or his office received correspondence from Sussan Turner the Chief Executive Officer of MediaWorks dated 19 January that reads: “I am conscious that this NZOA Air Child Poverty doco issue has political nuances and so if there is anything you would like from us on this topic please feel free to give me a call to mobile … We have taken a “no comment” position on it and are maintaining that but of course if there are any aspects you would like to discuss I am happy to talk them through with you.”? 
Hon TONY RYALL 
: Yes he did and he sent that email to the member some days ago. 
Clare Curran 
: Has he or his office received correspondence from the New Zealand On Air board chair Neil Walter dated 23 January 2012 advising him that the board does not intend to take any further action on the scheduling of programmes in a pre-election period following legal advice and advising the Minister that he was “discussing with Stephen McElrea how best to refute some of the wilder accusations made against him” and noting that “The general question of political appointments is getting more attention now”? 
Hon TONY RYALL 
: Yes and that was an email that Minister Foss sent to the Labour Party. 
Clare Curran 
: Is he still satisfied that Stephen McElrea has acted appropriately in his role as a New Zealand On Air board member at all times? 
Hon TONY RYALL 
: The Minister has confidence in the chair and the arrangements in respect of New Zealand On Air and he has confidence in Mr McElrea. 
Clare Curran 
: I seek leave to table four documents released under the Official Information Act. The first is an email dated 18 January 2011 at 4.40 p.m.— 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Just before the member goes through all these documents can I check: have these been released publicly or just to the member? I think it is important that we do understand. 
Hon TONY RYALL 
: If I could assist. An Official Information Act request came from the Leader of the Opposition to Mr Foss. He has responded and has sent that information to the Labour Party and I presume Labour is seeking to table the information— 
Mr SPEAKER 
: That is fine. I thank the Minister. 
Clare Curran 
: I seek leave to table four documents. The first is an email dated 18 January 2011 at 4.40 p.m. sent from the chair of the New Zealand On Air board to a number of recipients including the Minister’s office with an attachment document entitled “This story seems to have taken on a life of its own” by Mr Neil Walter. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Leave is sought to table that document. Is there any objection? There is no objection. 
Document by leave laid on the Table of the House. 
Clare Curran 
: The second is an email response dated 18 January at 5 p.m. from the Minister’s office to the chair of the New Zealand On Air board saying “thanks for passing this on.” 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Leave is sought to table that document. Is there any objection? There is no objection. 
Document by leave laid on the Table of the House. 
Clare Curran 
: The third document is an email dated 19 January from the Hon Craig Foss to a number of recipients thanking the Chief Executive Officer of MediaWorks Sussan Turner for a document she has sent to him. 
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. 
Clare Curran 
: The fourth document is an email entitled “NZ On Air” dated 23 January sent from the chair of New Zealand On Air to a number of recipients including the Minister’s office providing an update on the board’s intentions with regard to the “firestorm” and outlining his discussions with Stephen McElrea on refuting the allegations. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Leave is sought to table that document. Is there any objection? There is no objection. 
Document by leave laid on the Table of the House.