Page 40 of today's NBR is an interesting read. It contains an article by Tom Frewen summarising a report that the Government has been reluctant to release by former NZ on Air boss Jo Tyndall and current senior advisor in the Ministry of Culture and heritage on broadcasting. Tyndall essentially explains why Labour's nine year attempt to modify the rampant commercialism of its state-owned television company has been a dismal failure.
This is interesting in its own right, as is the fact that Mallard rejected a copy of Tyndall's paper under the OIA. But what interests us most is the fact Parliament's Commerce Committee, chaired by Gerry Brownlee has recently completed its first five year review of the TVNZ Charter. And what seems incredible is the fact that the Committee were not informed of the content of Tyndall's paper. We want to know why this information was not shared? The Minister and officials knew of the report and its contents? Is this now acceptable behavior in our Parliament?
