John Armstrong: Curran makes new man squirm over NZ On Air job
5:30 AM Wednesday Feb 15, 2012
Labour MP Clare Curran. Photo / Supplied.
When the most pressing items before the House include racecourse safety, the long-term state of the balance of payments and David Cunliffe's new beard, you know it could be a dreary afternoon.
MPs were no doubt relieved to hear that new Racing Minister Nathan Guy considers health and safety an important issue. But such reassurance would not satisfy Winston Peters, not least because he was a racing minister and established the safety fund - something he wanted the House to know given that Guy was claiming credit for funding the initiative.
The New Zealand First leader demanded Guy spell out exactly what he had done for the industry on crucial matters like taxation and stake money - a bit rough considering Guy has held the post for all of two months.
Also new in his job is Broadcasting Minister Craig Foss. Whereas Guy got a ribbing for not doing something, Foss continued to get an old-fashioned roasting for something not of his doing.
Foss had the bad luck to pick up a portfolio with a ticking time-bomb in John Key's post-election reshuffle.
Mainly as a result of a sustained offensive in recent weeks by Labour MP Clare Curran, the appointment of Stephen McElrea, John Key's National Party electorate chairman, to the board of New Zealand On Air is fast looking like one of the more politically stupid examples of political patronage.
Curran yesterday revealed that McElrea had lodged a complaint about the NZ On Air-funded documentary on child poverty screened on TV3 in the week before last year's election.
Not only that. The complaint had been lodged before the screening, adding further fuel to Labour's allegations of political interference.
Foss is in an impossible position. So far his stratagem has been to stand poker-faced and try to blunt Curran's questions by repeatedly saying he has full confidence in the board, the board's decisions are for it to make, it is inappropriate for him to comment on board matters ... and so on. Judging by his obvious discomfort, not even Foss is convinced.
Yesterday Curran asked whether McElrea's political connection to the Prime Minister had been considered during the appointment process. Foss' response was that all board appointments follow the standard due diligence process for Crown entities.
Labour MPs claimed Foss had failed to answer the question. Speaker Lockwood Smith then surprisingly intervened, saying it would be normal for the appointments procedure to consider whether political affiliations could be compromising.
Amazed by Smith's contribution, Labour's Trevor Mallard expressed gratitude for the interpretation. But, along with Peters, Mallard wanted to hear the same from the horse's mouth. Smith insisted he could not force Foss to give a certain answer.
But Labour's moral victory left another question unanswered. Having unsuccessfully sought to trip up Key for so long over relative trivia, Labour (finally) is making headway on something of real concern.
So why isn't the party giving more priority to Curran's questions? Yesterday she was bottom of the list. She deserves better.
The appointment of McAlrea further blurs the line between NZ on Air and govt interference.
Media control whether it be television or broadcasting, re media works, is being hi-jacked for political gain and this should not continue and McAlrea needs to resign, key and govt need to back off trying to manipulate what the public watch and hear.
However it was not long before he saw the prospect of not getting a plum diplomatic post if he carried on requiring his colleagues to actually answer questions put to them rather than the usual habit of batting them for 6. Well we all know that he is to be rewarded for services to the National Party but how he can hold his head up high I do not know. Oh silly me, he is a politician.
He sits is a position where he should be neutral but in fact his bias is obvious and at times obnoxious. It can be seen that he has repeatedly blocked valid questions to protect National MPs from potentially exposing flaws in the armor.
He has allowed smarmy and nasty comments from Nats towards opposition and even made them himself whilst swiftly moving to chastise opposition for similar actions. It is plain to see that our democracy has been hijacked by a mafia in the Nats and there is no transparency nor due process any longer.
Nats have an idealogical vision for this nation and they are not allowing for other views to be considered. That vision is the rape and pillage of NZ by corporate and international forces.