Media release

28 August 2006

TV3 banned from filming in Chamber for three days

TV3 camera operators have been banned from filming in the Chamber for three sitting days, starting tomorrow.

The Speaker, Hon Margaret Wilson, said she took this action because of TV3’s serious and premeditated breach of the rules by filming MP Ron Mark when he did not have the call to speak.

Ms Wilson said this was the second time she has had to take action against TV3 for flouting the rules for filming in the Chamber.

On both occasions TV3 admitted it had breached the rules and on both occasions it talked of its belief that there was a more liberal interpretation of the rules in place.

‘That argument was not accepted last year, and I do not accept it now,’ she said.

‘In addition, this time TV3 repeated the shots in question even though it knew they were in breach of the rules. This was clearly a premeditated breach.’

Ms Wilson said her decision should not be read as condoning Mr Mark’s actions in the House. Rules covering the filming of Members were there to help viewers see Parliament, as it is most of the time.

‘If that happened, the viewer would see that the behaviour of most Members, most of the time is consistent with the standard of conduct the public expects from MPs.

‘Unfortunately, by concentrating on gestures such as that by Mr Mark, they leave the viewer with a very poor opinion of all Members.’

The three-day ban takes effect tomorrow and will effectively stop TV3 filming in the Chamber this week.

ENDS

© Scoop Media