Perry Edwin: Maori Television Service Bill — Second Reading 
Perry Edwin: Maori Television Service Bill — Second Reading 
[Volume:607;Page:4922] 
EDWIN PERRY (NZ First) 
: 
 I will just take a short call on this bill. My fellow MP Mr Gudgeon has obviously covered all the good ingredients. I will cover some of the good and some of the bad. We all know that New Zealand First will oppose this bill on these very important points. This proposed channel has already suffered some credibility problems with regard to the appointment of Mr Davy and the recent restructuring of all that. 
Firstly I want to look at coverage. Obviously this is a concern in the Wairarapa and on the East Coast. As we have already heard a large number of iwi in north Auckland will not be able to get coverage. If that is correct then why are we going ahead with this thing? I have spoken to some of the people on the East Coast and to Ngati Porou and there will be a problem up there. 
I feel a bit whakama for the Minister sitting there all on his lonesome. Where are the other Maori MPs? Why are they not here supporting the bill? 
Hon Parekura Horomia 
: They are at the tangi. 
EDWIN PERRY 
: That is fine but I am very surprised that they are not sitting around the Minister supporting him in respect of this important channel. 
The other thing I want to touch on is te reo. New Zealand First is not against the pronunciation of Maori and the resurgence of te reo. If I did not support it my mother-in-law would clip my ears when I got home tonight so I have to support it. 
The other issue is cost. To be a member of this particular channel will put pressures on some of the families who subscribe to it. I remember visiting Hawaii driving past some of the back parts and seeing a receiving dish. I think the dish was more expensive than the house and the car. We do not want to see that sort of thing emerge here in Aotearoa. 
I have some real problems with this budget. Wayne Walden who came in to restructure this project after the debacle with Mr Davy has a credible background. He was the chief executive officer of Deka and has a lot of experience on how to make a dollar but—and this is the “but” part of it—Mr Walden and his team were asked to put a new budget together and also asked what they would need to take this thing to the next part of the proposal. They came up with a figure of about $12 million. But what did the Labour Government offer them? It offered a lot less than $12 million. How often will the Government keep doing that? As I have just said this channel is already behind the ball because of finance and is on the road to destruction. 
Dr Wayne Mapp 
: Way behind! 
EDWIN PERRY 
: Yes way behind! During the Maori Affairs Committee hearing I asked Mr Fox what this channel would require now that it was hopefully getting itself back on its feet. He mentioned that they would have to look at new technology offshore. I am sure that the $12 million that Mr Walden budgeted for was part of that. I have some concerns about the technology that will be put in place. 
I now want to touch on the issue of failure. If this project fails who fails? The Government will not fail but once again Maoridom will fail because the appropriate measures have not been taken to make sure that this thing stacks up. 
With those short words New Zealand First will oppose this bill—not for some of the reasons that have been mentioned but for good reasons and on good common-sense issues.