New Maori television service unveiled
Prime Minister Helen Clark and Maori Affairs Minister Parekura Horomia this week announced that a new Maori television service will be broadcasting free-to-air across New Zealand by next June. The new service will broadcast in Maori and English. It will be established as a statutory corporation with its own legislation to be introduced into Parliament this year. There will be seven directors on the Maori television service board. Three will be appointed by the Crown and four by an electoral college, comprised of representatives from Maori organisations. Programming will cost up to $22 million a year, bringing to $176 million the amount the government will spend on Maori television in the next four years. At the proposed funding levels the service can be expected to be able to broadcast about two hours of original programming a day. This will build to three hours by the third year of operation.
Govt fears upsurge in commercial whaling
Conservation Minister Sandra Lee has expressed deep disappointment at the International Whaling Commission's failure to establish a South Pacific whale sanctuary, despite a further strong vote in its favour. Sandra Lee says there is now an increased prospect that the South Pacific breeding grounds of the great whales may be exposed to commercial whaling. The minister was in London this week for the IWC vote. She said the outcome means one less barrier between commercial whalers and the remaining great whales of our region. Pro-whaling states, led by Japan and aided by six Caribbean nations, blocked the three- quarters majority required by the IWC to establish the sanctuary. Sandra Lee said the vote is a setback for the international community's stewardship of our global oceans.
State meat-inspection company cleared
State-owned Enterprises Minister Mark Burton said this week an independent
review has found that state-owned meat inspection company Asure New Zealand
has been cleared of disadvantaging any of its staff through its infamous "goneburger'' list. The list was revealed in a report by Christchurch newspaper The Press last November. The list outraged union officials because it contained acerbic personal comments about some meat inspectors it wanted to axe. Wellington employment lawyer Peter Chemis was called in to investigate. Mark Burton said the review concluded that the goneburger list was compiled in 1998 by an account manager, with input from three other account managers. The preparation of such a list had not been envisaged nor authorised by the chief executive, and when it came to light instructions were given for it to be destroyed.
Parliament takes over Audit Office responsibility
Deputy Prime Minister Jim Anderton and Speaker Jonathan Hunt hosted a function this week to mark the responsibility for the Audit Office being transferred to Parliament. From 1 July the Controller and Auditor-General only reports to the Speaker of the House and not to a Minister of the Crown. The Auditor-General can also decide which crown entities should be audited by his office, including state-owned enterprises. The changes are the result of an Act that received assent in April 2001, which made a number of changes including increased powers for the Auditor-General. Jim Anderton was responsible for the Auditor-General until the transfer.
Report on MPs' pay and allowances
A report by Auditor-General David Macdonald says the system of MPs' pay and other entitlements is "complex and confusing", and that decisions should be taken out of MPs' hands. The report was tabled in Parliament this week. Speaker Jonathan Hunt said the report would be referred to a meeting of the Parliamentary Service Commission - a body comprising ten MPs from across all parliamentary parties and chaired by Mr Hunt - and then sent to party caucuses for consideration. The report outlined five principles: a clear distinction between remuneration and expense reimbursement; an independent body to determine remuneration and expense reimbursement; giving that independent body overall ownership of the system for setting and paying remuneration; designated agencies responsible for paying remuneration and reimbursing expenses. The report is available at www.oag.govt.nz
New private training providers face curbs
Associate Education (Tertiary Education) Minister Steve Maharey this week announced a moratorium that prevents new private training providers from accessing public tuition subsidies and the student loans and allowances schemes. Steve Maharey said the moratorium will apply to new private training establishments (PTEs) seeking funding and to applications by existing publicly funded private providers to mount new qualifications or to significantly alter qualifications currently offered. The moratorium will not apply to Training Opportunities, Youth Training, Skill Enhancement and English for migrants programmes administered by Skill New Zealand. The former government encouraged PTEs to put competitive pressure on public institutions. There are now over 840 registered PTEs, some 53 per cent of which currently access public funding or whose students can qualify for loans and allowances.
Energy Minister meets electricity stakeholders
Energy Minister Pete Hodgson is meeting electricity industry stakeholders today to discuss possible responses to the prospect of electricity supply shortages later this winter. Participants in the meeting will include electricity generators and retailers, the national grid company Transpower, the Electricity Networks Association (representing line companies), consumer groups and officials. Fears of blackouts have risen as hydro lake levels continue to fall. High prices are also causing concern in the industry sector.
