Funding head sent off on full pay

By AUDREY YOUNG political editor

Te Mangai Paho chief executive Trevor Moeke has been stood down indefinitely on full pay as troubles surrounding the Maori broadcasting funding agency deepen.

Mr Moeke is thought to earn between $130,000 and $140,000 a year.

He went on leave immediately after a meeting yesterday with interim board chairman Wira Gardiner.

Also yesterday, Prime Minister Helen Clark sought to deflect criticism about the handling of the matter by Maori Affairs Minister Parekura Horomia by accusing officials of giving him "woeful" advice.

The latest move follows claims that Mr Moeke tried to recover cartoon licences from a failed production company funded by Te Mangai Paho, which would normally have been the domain of the liquidator.

Mr Gardiner said he was extending a review into Mr Moeke's performance to cover allegations around the failed company, Slightly Off-beat Productions.

"The board also wants to look into the relationship between the CEO and other industry players, including Te Whakaruruhau, the umbrella organisation for Maori radio."

Mr Gardiner, along with Mr Horomia and Helen Clark, have assiduously avoided any criticism of Mr Moeke, citing employment contract law and principals of natural justice.

But Associate Maori Affairs Minister John Tamihere has said Mr Moeke's position is "untenable".

Mr Gardiner yesterday assumed executive management duties of the agency, which funds Maori radio and television programmes to the tune of $40 million a year.

Mr Gardiner was appointed interim chairman three weeks ago after a report into kickbacks that had been paid to former Te Mangai Paho radio manager Tame Te Rangi by a company for whom he had funding oversight.

According to a Treasury-led review, Mr Moeke knew about the conflict of interest and directed it to cease but his directives were ignored.

Mr Gardiner expressed some concerns at the small number of staff at Te Mangai Paho and their lack of experience.

There were only six staff and four of them "were barely out of their teens".

"We have a small organisation which on the surface seems to be understaffed and under-resourced dealing with a $40 million business," he said.

"It doesn't quite match up from my own business experience."

Mr Gardiner said Te Mangai Paho's problems had to be seen in perspective.

"The perception is that there is a massive defaulting of an organisation.

"The reality is that this all started from a human resources matter which should have been dealt with expeditiously."

Of more than 229 funding projects, only two had failed.

"I want to isolate the small handful of failed projects from the vast majority that are getting on with business."

He would not say when his review was likely to be completed.

Act MP Rodney Hide, whose allegations sparked the initial report, welcomed the wider review.

But he said the Government was searching for a scapegoat "when blame must lie at the minister's feet".

"Mr Moeke has been rewarded with a holiday paid for by the longsuffering taxpayer."

Mr Horomia had a dismal week in the House last week at the hands of Opposition MPs over incorrect answers he had given, in response to questions mainly from Mr Hide.

So far 30 answers to 200 questions have been identified as incorrect.

The answers in most cases had been supplied by Te Mangai Paho via the Ministry of Maori Development, Te Puni Kokiri, which has oversight of Te Mangai Paho, an autonomous Crown entity.

Helen Clark indicated yesterday that changes were in store for Te Mangai Paho, if it survived at all.

She has asked State Service Minister Trevor Mallard to get the State Services Commission to look at Te Puni Kokiri's role in the advice structure "and its capability to monitor".

There were problems in Te Mangai Paho that were not picked up, Helen Clark said.

"Somewhere, right along the chain of advice, there was a failure.

"If there is a failure in the chain of advice, that ends up on the minister's plate in Parliament and that is an unsatisfactory situation.

"The minister is put in an impossible situation if he is given wrong information.

"The advice was woeful."

Asked about Mr Horomia's performance, she said that "a minister who is badly advised has a great deal of a problem putting in a satisfactory performance".

Asked if she had confidence in Te Puni Kokiri's chief executive, Leith Comer, she said: "I have worked closely with Mr Comer and found him willing and helpful at all times, so, yes, I have personally had confidence in him.

"But there are clearly some issues when the minister gets a series of answers which are wrong.

"The question is, does the blame lie down the tree in the agency and what it supplied.

"Should the department have known more? Those are questions we will be exploring."

The story so far

MARCH

Act MP Rodney Hide accuses Te Mangai Paho radio manager Tame Te Rangi of working for a Maori sportscasting company he was funding.

Mr Te Rangi resigns after revelations that he failed to disclose a 10-year-old fraud conviction to Te Mangai Paho.

MAY

Treasury-led report details $14,000 paid either directly to Mr Te Rangi or to third parties for his expenses for 40 commentaries; and failed attempts by Te Mangai Paho chief executive Trevor Moeke to resolve the conflict of interest.

Te Mangai Paho board chairman Toby Curtis resigns.

Maori Affairs Minister Parekura Horomia appoints Wira Gardiner interim chairman. Mr Gardiner instigates performance review of Mr Moeke.

Report contradicts some of Mr Horomia's answers to questions in House.

JUNE

Mr Horomia tables 30 corrected answers to parliamentary questions supplied by officials but faces criticism for 12-day delay.

Fresh claim that Mr Moeke tried to recover cartoon licences from failed production company Slightly Off Beat Productions, ahead of liquidator.

Mr Moeke goes on "indefinite leave".