Sunday 10 Feb 2002

ACT Broadcasting Spokesman MP Penny Webster said today that it was a great pity that controversy again surrounds Te Mangai Paho funding.

"Tukoroirangi Morgan is only back in the news because of negligence by the Minister of Broadcasting and the Minister of Maori Affairs.

"The public of New Zealand is nervous about Maori broadcasting. We expect Ministers to oversee funding and make sure bureaucrats are acting sensibly.

"It almost appears that Te Mangai Paho or the Ministers are deliberately trying to nobble the new Maori television station by spending money recklessly.

"Ministers have not satisfactorily answered any of my parliamentary questions on this subject. If they don't know what's going on, then they should.

"If the private sector had been allowed to run the new Maori television station, this controversy would not be happening.

"We have all the ingredients for another Aotearoa Television debacle. Again, the losers will be Maori, the New Zealand taxpayer, and broadcasters. And again, the culprits are the Ministers and bureaucrats dishing out money," Mrs Webster said.

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