ALCP Lodges Complaint To Standards Authority

The Aotearoa Legalise Cannabis Party has lodged a formal complaint with the BSA relating to coverage of the Mt Albert By-election by TVNZ politics show back benches. The host of the show had indicated that all Mt Albert candidates were to appear on the show, but ended up only allowing the five most well known candidates to appear.

All five candidates were from the major political parties and are are all sitting MPs. They already enjoyed large amounts of media publicity prior to appearing on the show. None of the candidates from the minor parties were allowed to appear on the show and were denied the right to present their opinions on a range of controversial issues such as the waterview tunnel.

The ALCP are particularly concerned that its prominent candidate Dakta Green is being denied access to television coverage because TVNZ does not support the views of the Aotearoa Legalise Cannabis Party or its candidate.

This display of bias, breaches standards of balance and fairness. Programmes relating to issues of a controversial nature should aim to present as many sides of the debate as possible. This clearly could not happen on back benches with the exclusion of minor parties.

The ALCP is not a fringe party as broadcast Paul Holmes claimed last week. The ALCP has clearly explained how the recession in New Zealand can be ended. Dakta Green has promised to build the full waterview tunnel, but unlike the Labour candidate, he has explained how the project will be financed. Dakta Green has also promised 200 extra police, two new prisons and a 20% increase in the health budget. Sadly TVNZ has denied Dakta Green to right to share these initiatives with the people of New Zealand.

By not allowing a balance of views from across the political spectrum, TVNZ has denied candidates from minor parties the right to express their views. ALCP candidate Dakta Green has been denied the right to express his opinion about a number of controversial issues, simply because TVNZ disagree with his position. This is clearly in breach of the standards of fairness required by the broadcaster.

The standards which have been breached by TVNZ are as follows:

Under the Broadcasting Act 1989, every broadcaster is responsible for maintaining in its programmes and their presentation standards which are consistent with:

d) The principle that when controversial issues of public importance are discussed, reasonable efforts are made, or reasonable opportunities are given, to present significant points of view, either in the same programme or in other programmes within the period of current interest

Balance

4b No set formula can be advanced for the allocation of time to interested parties on controversial public issues. Broadcasters should aim to present all significant sides in as fair a way as possible, it being acknowledged that this can be done only by judging each case on its merits.

4a Programmes which deal with political matters, current affairs, and questions of a controversial nature, must show balance and impartiality.

Fairness

6d Broadcasters should acknowledge the right of individuals to express their own opinions.

ENDS

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