15 February 2000

APPOINTMENT OF NEW TVNZ CHAIR A CHANCE FOR THE GOVERNMENT TO STOP CRYING CROCODILE TEARS OVER PUBLIC TELEVISION

The appointment of a new chair of TVNZ is a chance for the Government to "stop crying crocodile tears over public television", according to United New Zealand leader, Hon Peter Dunne.

"It is one thing for the Government to keep on attacking TVNZ for extravagance in presenter salaries - but what most people are looking forward to are the Government's plans to actually improve the services offered by TVNZ."

"So far, all we have heard is bombast and bluster - now is the chance for the Prime Minister and the Minister of Broadcasting to get off their soapboxes and spell out their positive plans for TVNZ's future," Mr Dunne says.

Mr Dunne says the pending appointments of a new chair and board members offer a chance for the Government to spell out clearly the job descriptions it envisages for these roles, so that the public can see how it expects directors' functions to change to give effect to its policy.

"People want to know exactly what the Government will expect of the TVNZ board, and what its priorities are to be."

"They do not want another round of jobs for the business sector boys and girls appointments, let alone a board of trendy-lefty media sympathisers skilled in the gibberish of Marionspeak."

"TVNZ wants the best people to do the job of establishing a proper public television service, and these pending appointments are the Government's chance to prove it has a real vision for TVNZ's, rather than just a chip on its shoulder over the way TVNZ has worked up until now," Mr Dunne says.

ENDS
New Zealand's Liberal Party

MEDIA STATEMENT
HON PETER DUNNE, MP
LEADER UNITED NEW ZEALAND
Parliament Buildings, Wellington 1.
h (04)471 9410 or (025) 469 808. Fax (04)499 7266.
e-mail: peter.dunne@parliament.govt.nz. Internet Address: http://www.united.org.nz

New Zealand's Liberal Party

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