Violation of privacy by TVNZ
Friday 25th Jun 1999
Richard Prebble
Media Release -- Governance & Constitution
Hon Richard Prebble CBE
Leader ACT New Zealand
MP Wellington Central
25 June 1999
The Speaker
Parliament Buildings
Wellington
Dear Mr Speaker
Violation of privacy by TVNZ
I am
writing to you in your capacity as landlord of Parliament.
Last night on
TV1's late news there was footage of
the PM working in an office in the
Beehive. The
footage was shot through the window, from outside. As you
well
know the curtains of the offices of Ministers
are never drawn because it is
not possible for anyone on
the street to look in. This footage were obviously
taken
with some kind of telephoto lens, possibly from Bowen House
or Petrocorp
House where TVNZ has an office.
This
raises serious privacy issues. The technology for
distance filming has
been around for over 20 years,
as has the Beehive. In that time to my
knowledge no
news organisation has ever violated the privacy of
Ministers
working in their offices in such a way.
I am
writing to you as our landlord to ask what the privacy
issues are here. I
would like you to enquire whether
this film was shot from outside or within
the precincts
of Parliament. If it was within Parliament, this would seem
to
be a violation of TVNZ's permission to be in
Parliament.
I am writing to TVNZ as well. We should at
least have a public debate on this
matter. If this
incident passes without comment it could well set a
precedent
for media to continue to violate the privacy of
public or private individuals.
In this country we have
a convention of more that 100 years that
Prime
Ministers are entitled to privacy. It is
disturbing that state TV has decided
to break the
convention. It shows a lack of judgement by TVNZ that it
should
choose the occasion of a dispute over
credibility to violate the Prime
Minister's
privacy.
It also raises credibility questions because
the footage was accompanied by a
voice-over which
implied that Mrs Shipley and those working with her were,
on
the footage, conferring over the Crossfire incident:
"their faces say it all".
Unless TVNZ was also using
hidden microphones there is no way this could
be
established. Given that the Justice Minister was
also clearly visible on the
footage, it is at least
as likely that they were discussing the
terrible
stabbing of the ACC staff member which had just
happened.
I would like this matter to be referred
to the next meeting of the
Parliamentary Service
Commission.
Yours faithfully
Hon Richard
Prebble CBE
LEADER, ACT NEW ZEALAND
MP, WELLINGTON CENTRAL
cc: Chief executive TVNZ
Privacy
Commissioner