Media hail retreat over cameras in Parliament

Campaigners have hailed a backdown on the proposed ban on network news cameras from Parliament's debating chamber as a victory for media freedom.

The Cabinet yesterday decided to defer funding of the $6.2 million broadcasting system - which would have excluded news cameras from the chamber - until the 2006 budget.

The Government said the deferral would allow for "fuller discussion of all the issues", but Prime Minister Helen Clark indicated her support for keeping the news cameras, irrespective of the new system.

It is understood the Government was unwilling to engage in a battle with the media in election year over the proposal, which news organisations said would have eroded press freedom and threatened networks' editorial control.

The Commonwealth Press Union (CPU) media freedom committee yesterday met the Speaker of the House, Margaret Wilson, to insist on the right of access for news cameras.

After the meeting, chairman Tim Pankhurst said they were "pretty happy" with the deferment and that it was a victory for media freedom.

"The very real concerns we have raised about the press freedom have been listened to," he said.

The suggestion to exclude cameras was made in 2003 in a standing orders committee report - which was agreed to by all parties in Parliament.

The report said it would be "unacceptable" to have network cameras in the chamber after the new system was introduced because they would be "physically intrusive".

But although the report was agreed to unanimously by all parties at the time, National, Act and NZ First have since changed their view and opposed the ban, leaving the Government increasingly isolated.

Ms Wilson yesterday said it was up to the standing orders committee to determine whether it would reconsider the decision on the ban, but she recommended they discuss it at a meeting next month.

Mr Pankhurst said the CPU was confident the meeting would agree to lift the ban on network cameras.

Helen Clark said the Government had acted in good faith on the recommendation of the committee.

But in the 16 months it had taken to act on the recommendation, other parties - who had earlier agreed to the decision - had "run a mile".

"At that point the Government was not going to be left carrying the can when other people run away from it," she said about the decision to defer the funding.

She did not personally think there was a reason for the network cameras to be excluded.

Time was needed for networks and the Speaker to discuss the rules under which cameras are admitted.

The existing rules include bans on such things as panning shots, close-ups and the filming of interjections.

In the past week these rules have been debated after TV3, and later TVOne, broadcast footage of Cabinet minister David Benson-Pope sleeping during question time in the debating chamber.

Ms Wilson has written to TV3 asking for an explanation of the footage, which breached the rules.

Mr Pankhurst said the CPU was seeking to have the rules revised as they were too restrictive.

Green Party co-leader Rod Donald criticised the Government for its decision to cancel the funding.

"At the moment, the public are lucky to see only a few seconds of Parliament each day on free-to-air television."

He said the deferment was a setback for rekindling interest in New Zealand's democracy.

Act leader Rodney Hide said the Cabinet decision was made because it didn't want a fight over freedom of the press in election year.

He also said Helen Clark had over-ruled Margaret Wilson on the issue.

"Without the money, Ms Wilson can't install the new system and so can't ban TVNZ's and TV3's cameras from Parliament," Mr Hide said.

"Helen Clark has shown the new Speaker who is boss."

The way ahead

* Government plan was A $6.2 million taxpayer-funded system installed in Parliament to provide live free coverage of all sessions to networks.

* Network cameras were to be excluded from the debating chamber due to space problems. The plan now The funding of the new system will now not happen until the 2006 Budget.

* The decision to exclude the news cameras is likely to be revised.