Gallagher Martin: Broadcasting Amendment Bill — Second Reading 
Gallagher Martin: Broadcasting Amendment Bill — Second Reading 
[Volume:645;Page:14674] 
MARTIN GALLAGHER (Labour—Hamilton West) 
: 
 I listened with interest to the previous speaker Richard Worth and also to his colleague Lindsay Tisch along with other speakers in the House. I have to say I found Mr Worth’s contribution very interesting thought-provoking and concise. Certainly I think there are challenges for all of us in terms of this bill. 
I am not in any way being uncharitable about Mr Worth’s comments about the Television New Zealand charter but one of the most important aspects of the charter would be to have some guarantee that a future Government would never sell off Television New Zealand. One has to say that given the prevarication that was shown by the leader of the National Party in the last day or two in terms of Auckland airport I think all bets are off. It is a bit of a worry because if he is so inconcise about that strategic asset I would imagine that if National becomes the Government—if shock horror National and its allies get a majority of seats in this House—it would be like Howard winning the Senate and the House of Representatives. It would be a shock-horror doomsday scenario for this country. Believe you me all bets would be off and I would say that hocking off Television New Zealand would definitely be up for consideration. 
But I will move on because I do think in fairness that Mr Worth and others have made some very constructive and very positive comments. I know that Mr Worth would be one of those who would be absolutely defending the right of Television New Zealand to remain a public entity but I think he would be rolled in his caucus. 
Believe it or not I think this bill is quite exciting because it is the legislative means by which we recognise through the means of public funding and community funding that broadcasting is moving beyond the traditional analog transmission—through the air to a TV with an aerial on the roof—and that there are other means by which people are now receiving information and entertainment. 
I want to take this opportunity because I have not been able to do so before to congratulate a former Minister of Broadcasting the Hon Marian Hobbs on her appointment as an Assistant Speaker. So far in the short time she has been in the Chair she has been doing a very very good job. I know that she particularly in terms of her previous involvement with that portfolio along with the current Minister will certainly be very enthusiastic about this bill in that it takes us forward to the next step. Indeed it means that the funding agencies can now start to look and do a critical and calm assessment of the changes in broadcasting and adjust their own funding policies in a flexible and considered way. I make the point that the agencies are not required to fund digital content; the bill merely allows them to do so if and when the need arises. I think personally that it will be a case of when the need arises. 
The bill also introduces new definitions of content and transmission on demand that fall outside the current definitions of broadcasting and programmes. I want to mention two Waikato developments. First of all I noted that Lindsay Tisch—and I am sorry that I did not hear the complete content of his speech—was talking about tvCentral which is a Matamata based enterprise. It has done fantastic wonderful work and he is correct—it has been very much a labour of love energy and passion. As far as I am aware that enterprise has not had public funding to do that. It was my pleasure as a Waikato Government member of Parliament to personally launch a while ago the Hamilton studios and the Hamilton broadcast for tvCentral so that it now truly is covering the greater Waikato and parts of the Bay of Plenty as well. 
Again as I read this bill I would say that as an organisation like tvCentral starts to develop say web content and video on demand and starts to look at the other means by which it can transmit its whole range of very very good local programming indeed it means that the funding agencies could consider it. I have a personal message for the funding agencies particularly NZ On Air. I think that historically regional television in this country has had a really hard row to hoe in terms of accessing and attracting adequate NZ On Air funding. 
Certainly I acknowledge that there has been assistance with Stratos and I think that the group of regional broadcasters that has now come onto the platform is a very good development. I think that we are now seeing a movement towards much greater involvement in and much greater assistance for regional broadcasting which I know the Minister is very enthusiastic and keen about. I think that there is the ability to reflect and talk to local communities and regional communities and they are a very important strata of broadcasters. 
On a much more localised level I will also talk about this bill and the implications for community Access Radio. It is my pleasure to be involved with Community Radio Hamilton and I believe that this bill will assist that. I acknowledge and give a big bouquet to NZ On Air for all the funding it gives to community Access Radio around the country. My good colleague Barbara Stewart is nodding because she is involved with the station as well along with all the Waikato MPs. Again I think that this bill opens up the opportunity for extra funding in that area. 
So without further ado—and I know I have the firm support of my good colleague Jill Pettis—I say that we are enthusiastically supporting this bill in its second reading. It is good that we have multiparty support on this bill. I am looking forward to the Committee stage and I think we will get a very good piece of legislation out of it. We will do our bit to assist the ongoing development and evolution of broadcasting and new technologies in our country. 
Bill read a second time.