PM's TVNZ mates keep their jobs

Thursday 16 Dec 2004

Rodney Hide - Press Releases - Broadcasting

ACT Leader Rodney Hide said it is interesting that the Prime Minister has kept her TVNZ mates in their jobs heading into election year.

"Helen Clark should have accepted their resignations. Instead she's slapped the board members over the wrist with a wet bus ticket.

"The Prime Minister's do nothing response has solved nothing. A major problem remains given we've got a board member who's leaking to the Government. What's more, it's now known that the Government's shock and surprise was all carefully orchestrated because pay details were leaked to them a week before they became public.

"The whole thing's been completely bungled as the three board members clearly recognised by tendering their resignations. Not only were the resignations not accepted, we still don't have the promised explanation.

"Good luck to Judy Bailey for negotiating the mother of all salaries. The problem is we have a board that has given the Government the two-finger salute by signing up to the $800,000 pay packet. It's got away with it and worse still it will continue to get rewarded with about $30 million of taxpayers' money each year."

Mr Hide believes the Government should not be pumping extra taxpayer money directly into TVNZ but instead funding should be made available to all broadcasters through New Zealand On Air.

"This episode has showed just how unfair it is for the private sector. No one can compete with the state broadcaster propped up the taxpayer and accountable for little," said Mr Hide

ENDS

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