Television Coverage of the House: Notice of Motion

TARIANA TURIA; Co-leader of the Maori party

Thursday 28 June 2007

A popular question tamariki ask of me, when I spend time with kura, is ‘but what do you do each day’?

And I suppose I could focus on some of the negative aspects of this House, but I don’t - because that isn’t the work that most of us do here.

The list is, of course, as any member of this House knows, enormous…..

- I talk about the role of Parliament as the supreme legislative power;

- and as a consequence – our mahi in passing the laws by which Aotearoa is governed – examining, amending, processing Bills; and of course in approving the supply of public funds to run the country;

- I share the experiences we have in promoting representation – and the mutual obligations we have to both advocate the views of the people and represent the work of the Parliament back to the constituency;

- I talk also, about the very important role of scrutinising the work of the Government – and the ever thrilling challenge of question time.

But I don’t talk about the exhaustion that comes with a workload that extends to the late evenings and weekends; the responsibility of keeping up with mountains of the paperwork – and all the other core business that comes with the two letters, MP.

And I totally accept that all of this is part of the role of being a Member of Parliament.

But if you were to pick up the Dominion Post yesterday, one would be hard pressed to see any other role for Parliament than one of pure entertainment, a forum of fun and frivolity, all yawning aside. And a place to unfortunately fall asleep if you are really tired.

The fact my colleague Dr Sharples was last Thursday denied the opportunity to table his signed Code of Conduct as he attempted to have it added to the other thirteen members of the MMP Parties who have tabled theirs, was not seen as News. And I suppose good behaviour does not sell papers.

Mr Speaker, that is why we, in the Maori Party, have supported the new television coverage rules, in our commitment to restore respect and authority in the legitimacy of Parliament.

As a Member of the Standing Orders Committee, I was pleased to be part of a collaborative process which sought to give focus to the true function of Parliament.

The Maori Party debated at great length the importance of focusing on the respective Members who were on their feet; on ensuring shots unrelated to the proceedings are not permitted.

And we were pleased to see the authority of the Speaker is preserved in the default position always reverting to either the Speaker, or the Presiding Officer in the Chair.

There is one particular part of the new rules, of course, which has excited the imagination of the ‘Fourth Estate’.

That is the direction that coverage of proceedings must not be used in any medium for ridicule or denigration.

And the Maori Party is particularly supportive of such a ruling in the light of the report of the United Nations Special Rapporteur, who highlighted, and I quote the “systematic negative description of Maori in media coverage”.

As a particularly vivid example, we only need to cast our memories back to 1975, when television cameras gave extensive coverage to a Billboard campaign erected by property investor, Bob Jones, attacking the Rowling Labour Government.

The Billboard that achieved national prominence however, was one of the former Minister of Maori Affairs, Matiu Rata, which said “Matt Rata reads comics”.

And that a man of such mana, a leader of his people, was put up as a figure of fun, tormented by the popular press of his day, reflects badly on all those involved in such a shameful incident.

Mr Speaker, these incidents, of so-called ridicule or denigration, could also be described as institutional racism.

‘Nigger’ jokes were seen as normal, fun, and funny, excused I suppose by that childhood chant of "stick and stones will break your bones but words will never hurt you" - really! Is that so right?

It is little wonder that Muhammad Ali in 1966 in refusing to fight for the US in Vietnam said "I Ain't Got No Quarrel With The VietCong... No VietCong Ever Called Me Nigger".

Those are the sorts of episodes which a study on Maori and the media undertaken in 2004, reported as being ‘unbalanced’ in their treatment of Maori – denigrating and insulting.

And when I picked up the Dominion Post yesterday and found that four of the eight unflattering photos of MPs were of Maori MPs – Shane Jones, Dover Samuels, Ron Mark and myself, I asked what has changed since 1975? I didn’t bother to complaint because I didn’t feel it was worth it.

The United Nations Special Rapporteur was so concerned about the treatment of Maori in the media that he recommended that, and I quote:

“Public media should be encouraged to provide a balanced, unbiased and non-racist picture of Maori in New Zealand society”.

Not a number of Maori MPs photographed in very unflattering ways as they were yesterday.

In light of this, it was refreshing yesterday, to see the Broadcasting Standards Authority come out with a statement, supporting better training in intercultural understanding for journalists.

The statement from their Chief Executive, Dominic Sheehan said it all;

“All cultures have a right to be treated fairly by the media. Better journalistic training in other cultures would be a solution to inadvertently offending people’s customs and protocols as a result of a lack of knowledge”.

The Broadcasting Standards Authority also supported the concept of media campaigns to combat discrimination, Sheehan confirming that such a campaign reflects the “important part the media plays in improving communication between cultures”.

Mr Speaker, I’m not generally one to say I get excited by statements like this. But in the midst of an environment of ‘bad news’ and unflattering photos, the leadership shown by the Broadcasting Standards Authority is exciting.

And so I quote from Mr Sheehan again that

“While our media is underpinned by the right of free expression, we want people from all communities to know that broadcasters have a responsibility to maintain programme standards like the observance of good taste and decency, balance, fairness, accuracy and the privacy of an individual.

Included in the standards are safeguards against denigration and discrimination against a group in society”.

Mr Speaker, if I was in a Court room I’d be tempted to say, your Honour, I rest my case.

But instead, in this esteemed House of Law, I say Mr Speaker, nothing more really needs to be said.

In the interests of Broadcasting Standards, in respect of Standing Orders, in compliance with the MMP Parties’ own Code of Conduct for MPs tabled in this House; I say that the direction to avoid ridicule or denigration is the right direction for this House to take.

Tena tatou.

ENDS

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