Peters Winston: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
Peters Winston: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
[Volume:622;Page:17671] 
3.  
Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS (Leader—NZ First) 
 to the  
Prime Minister 
: Does she have confidence in the Minister of Broadcasting; if so why? 
Rt Hon HELEN CLARK (Prime Minister) 
: 
 Yes because he is also a hard-working conscientious Minister. 
Rt Hon Winston Peters 
: Is this the same conscientious and hard-working Minister of Broadcasting who has seen Judy Bailey’s salary go from $400000 to $800000 despite the fact that the Prime Minister herself said that she was revolted by Paul Holmes’ $760000 salary; and what on earth is going on in her ministry when such hypocrisy lies so rampant in our politics? 
Rt Hon HELEN CLARK 
: If—and I underline “if”—the salary is as high as that the directors appointed by the Government have some explaining to do to shareholding Ministers. 
Gerry Brownlee 
: Has the Minister of Broadcasting been able to establish from TVNZ whether in fact the salary is $800000 a year or thereabouts; if so and if it is true will she be requiring the board of TVNZ to resign as she suggested back in 2000 over the John Hawkesby issue? 
Rt Hon HELEN CLARK 
: It is my understanding that salaries are subject to confidentiality agreements. As I have said a salary at that level for the amount of time on air each day I would consider to be evidence of a culture of extravagance that requires explanation to shareholding Ministers. 
Rodney Hide 
: Will the Prime Minister be requiring the board of TVNZ to disclose to her or to her Minister what Judy Bailey’s salary is; if not why not? 
Rt Hon HELEN CLARK 
: It would be my understanding that the Government could not require that to be divulged but the Government makes it very clear to directors that it does not expect a culture of extravagance in public broadcasting when money can be well deployed to making programmes for the general public. 
Gerry Brownlee 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. I notice that a number of other questions are set down today related to this issue. It might help the Prime Minister in her answers—and it might help the House to get answers—if she were to be made aware of the fact that Television New Zealand like all State enterprises does declare the salaries it pays in $10000 bands in its annual report. Is the Prime Minister really suggesting that she cannot find out about this salary and we have to wait for the annual report? 
Mr SPEAKER 
: The member knows that that is not a point of order. 
Larry Baldock 
: Is the Prime Minister aware of whether Judy Bailey received her $400000 pay increase in a brown paper bag over a meal of fish in an Auckland restaurant? 
Mr SPEAKER 
: That question is a little facetious. I am not allowing it. 
Rt Hon Winston Peters 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. Perhaps you could tell the member to go outside and say that whereupon I will sue his little pants off. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: That is not a point of order either. But I caution members to be careful about what they say inside this House and outside this House. 
Rt Hon Winston Peters 
: What has happened to TVNZ’s announcement that it will be introducing and embedding a more transparent and comprehensive remuneration and job banding model in this country; and given that say for a 40-hour week Judy Bailey is to receive $384 per hour is the Prime Minister not embarrassed when a single pensioner receives less than $250 per week? 
Rt Hon HELEN CLARK 
: I think I have made it abundantly clear that I would consider any such salary level to be evidence of a culture of extravagance.