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.
- John Armstrong, NZ Herald
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