Bargaining likely over TVNZ split

By AUDREY YOUNG political reporter

The Alliance is expected to use its concerns about the proposed BCL split from TVNZ as leverage in its dealings with Labour to nail down a parental leave scheme.

But both coalition partners are anxious for the split of TVNZ and its broadcasting transmission arm not to be seen as a dispute.

Prime Minister Helen Clark said the parties simply wanted more time to think and talk about it, "so we have deferred it until we have that opportunity."

"It would be quite false to represent this as something that was an issue between the parties in the coalition."

And Alliance leader Jim Anderton simply says his party has not reached a position on TVNZ.

Decisions on the structure of TVNZ had been scheduled to be put before the cabinet yesterday. A private report had been commissioned on the issue from Arthur Andersen.

Then officials prepared a paper that proposed splitting the lucrative transmission arm of TVNZ into a stand-alone state-owned enterprise.

But last Wednesday Alliance ministers stalled the proposal when it went before the cabinet policy committee.

That same night, the Green Party said it would not support the split, arguing that the Government's objectives could be achieved without dramatic restructuring.

That leaves Labour short of required voting numbers.

The Alliance has not said the BCL issue is non-negotiable, nor will it enter an overt horse-trading contest bidding between BCL and paid parental leave.

But informed sources said last night that Labour might expect some movement on BCL if the Alliance got more co-operation on paid parental leave.

According to an agreed timetable confirmed in the Budget, Women's Affairs Minister Laila Harre has until late August to negotiate a scheme with Labour.

Legislation will be introduced by the end of the year to begin from April 1.

Laila Harre is said to be upset by Helen Clark's knock-backs on paid parental leave, the most recent of which was a statement saying a full scheme could not be implemented on April 1.

Meanwhile, Helen Clark indirectly criticised Broadcasting Minister Marian Hobbs for not consulting the Greens sooner.

"I don't think that you should keep allies at Parliament in the dark," Helen Clark told the post-cabinet press conference yesterday.

"I think there probably were opportunities for the Greens to be involved at an earlier stage.

"My own experience is the earlier you involve people, the more smoothly consultation goes, whether or not the end point is agreement or not."