Simon Power MP for Rangitikei
22 March 2000

Govt surrenders on TVNZ accountability

The Prime Minister's war-talk about TVNZ has come to nothing, Opposition MP Simon Power said today.

"Who will be held accountable for what the Prime Minister has called an unprecedented failure of management? It seems no one.

"A few weeks ago the Prime Minister said heads will roll. She said there has to be accountability of the Board to Government and the Board will then have to require accountability of the management.

"Since then TVNZ has paid out over $6 million of taxpayer's money in settlement to Mr Hawkesby. This is an unprecedented action never seen in an SOE before.

"Marian Hobbs says it's time to move on. TVNZ's new Chairman Ross Armstrong will be before the Select Committee soon. We will be asking questions of him as to who is to be held accountable, as it seems the Government has given up.

"The Government is full of contradictions. On one hand, Pete Hodgson is demanding complete accountability from the Timberland's Board for their staff. On the other hand, Marian Hobbs is backing away from demanding the TVNZ Board hold its management accountable for decisions that led to the Hawkesby payout.

"This inconsistency is what happens when the Prime Minister makes statements on the hoof," Mr Power said.

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