The National Business Review Publishes The Treaty Train Transcript

The May 10 edition of The National Business Review runs the full transcript of last week's TV ONE Assignment investigation into the Treaty of Waitangi grievance industry. The programme probed the conflict of interest, self-interest, public cost and failure of the settlement process to deliver on Maori land claims.

³The decision to publish the full transcript was made because the same issues have been raised repeatedly by the NBR over the last five years. They date back to the exposure of the Tainui tribe's shambolic use of its treaty compensation cash,² editor-in-chief Nevil Gibson said.

Last week it was the turn of TV ONE's flagship current affairs Assignment programme and award-winning senior reporter Rod Vaughan to question the Treaty process, its key players and the funding role of the Crown Forestry Rental Trust cash cow. Among issues raised by Assignment was the controversial relationship involving Wellington lawyer and Treaty specialist Donna Hall and her husband, High Court judge and Waitangi Tribunal chairman Justice Eddie Durie.

"The TV ONE programme has had a major impact on the Treaty debate at a pivotal time for the tribunal and we have had ample anecdotal evidence that many of our readers did not view the programme. It is for this reason we are publishing the full transcript so it can be examined in detail by all interested parties," Mr Gibson said.

"We are aware the programme has created a fierce debate on talkback radio and we believe a more open debate about the Treaty issues is critical to having the process streamlined and made effective. It has been almost impossible for journalists or politicians to get straight answers from the people running the $300 million forestry trust.²

The NBR last published a full television transcript when TVNZ pulled an Australian-made programme probing the infamous Wine Box Affair. Four pages have been added to the normal edition to run the entire 6800-word transcript.

Ends

© Scoop Media