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Prime Minister's Questions to The TVNZ Board
The following were Prime Minister Helen Clark's questions as read out at yesterday's post cabinet press conference concerning the Hawkesby payout scandal.
1. When did TVNZ first approach Mr Hawkesby?
2. When was the Chairperson made aware of the approach?
3. Did the Chairperson sanction the approach?
4. Who negotiated the contract with Mr Hawkesby and when?
5. Who on the Board approved the negotiation of, and the terms of the contract with Mr Hawkesby?
6. Was it part of the deal with Mr Hawkesby that he was to deny consistently to his employer, TV3, that he was not considering moving to TVNZ?
7. Does the Board concede that the arrangement with Mr Hawkesby amounted to enticement of him away from his employer, and if so does that explain the very high remuneration package negotiated with him?
8. Was co-presenter Judy Bailey's salary increased as a consequence of Mr Hawkesby's high package being negotiated?
9. What was the cost to the company of ending Richard Long's contract?
10. Is it correct that, on Mr Long's return, his salary increased by $100,000 above what it had been previously?
11. Were any of these salary arrangements put to the Chair of the Board, a subcommittee of the Board, or the whole board; and if not why not?
12. What proposed salary levels in TVNZ trigger consultation with the Board Chair, a Board Sub-Committee, or the whole Board?
13. What does the total sum paid to Mr Hawkesby amount to so far, including the $320,000 for his period of ten and a half months unemployment, his time on air, and the level of the settlement
14. What are TVNZ's total costs relating to this affair, including:
- all payments to Mr Hawkesby?
all payments to Mr Long?
- any extra salary to Mr Long and Ms Bailey's consequential on the affair all legal fees all fees for external public relations advice?
Alastair Thompson
Scoop Publisher
Alastair Thompson is the co-founder of Scoop. He is of Scottish and Irish extraction and from Wellington, New Zealand. Alastair has 24 years experience in the media, at the Dominion, National Business Review, North & South magazine, Straight Furrow newspaper and online since 1997. He is the winner of several journalism awards for business and investigative work.
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