𝕃𝕒𝕔𝕜 𝕠𝕗 𝕥𝕣𝕦𝕤𝕥 𝕚𝕟 𝕞𝕖𝕕𝕚𝕒 𝕔𝕚𝕥𝕖𝕕 𝕗𝕠𝕣 𝕞𝕖𝕣𝕘𝕖𝕣 𝕓𝕖𝕥𝕨𝕖𝕖𝕟 𝕋𝕍ℕℤ 𝕒𝕟𝕕 ℝℕℤ.

𝔹𝕣𝕠𝕒𝕕𝕔𝕒𝕤𝕥𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕄𝕚𝕟𝕚𝕤𝕥𝕖𝕣 𝕎𝕚𝕝𝕝𝕚𝕖 𝕁𝕒𝕔𝕜𝕤𝕠𝕟 𝕚𝕤 𝕕𝕖𝕗𝕖𝕟𝕕𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕞𝕖𝕘𝕒 𝕡𝕦𝕓𝕝𝕚𝕔 𝕞𝕖𝕕𝕚𝕒 𝕞𝕖𝕣𝕘𝕖𝕣, 𝕤𝕒𝕪𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕚𝕥 𝕚𝕤 𝕟𝕖𝕖𝕕𝕖𝕕 𝕓𝕖𝕔𝕒𝕦𝕤𝕖 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕡𝕦𝕓𝕝𝕚𝕔 𝕕𝕠𝕖𝕤 𝕟𝕠𝕥 𝕥𝕣𝕦𝕤𝕥 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕞𝕖𝕕𝕚𝕒.

W

illy ackson has been repeatedly questioned at Parliament this week by the National Party over the proposal to fold TVNZ and RNZ into one entity.

He defended the shake-up yesterday, saying it was necessary because the public's view of the media had changed.

"The reality is we want TVNZ to work in tandem with us - and they're doing that - because New Zealand has changed. We have no longer a trust in national media - no longer is there a trust in what's happening at a national media level," he said.

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"We need a trusted public broadcaster because national identity is incredibly important and no longer do people trust New Zealand television or New Zealand radio."

Just scratching my head over the bit I just saw. The noisey Nats crying over the tele merger because of the lack of trust kiwis have in media. Maybe they could address the elephant in the room and think why the public dont trust media when it is so skewed to National.

— originalalison (@originalalison) September 28, 2022

AUT research released this year found RNZ is New Zealand's most trusted news organisation, while TVNZ is the third. The survey did find, however, overall trust in news was declining.

National Party broadcasting spokesperson Melissa Lee was critical of the $327 million over three years set aside in this year's Budget for the new entity.

She asked Jackson if there had been cost benefit analysis of the plan, or a regulatory impact statement. He said he would "come back to the member on that", but was quickly pulled up on his response by the Speaker.

After further questions from Lee, Jackson asserted "we've had a clear cost-benefit analysis in terms of this project, come to my office and we'll show you".

Lee took up that offer after Question Time and during General Debate explained what happened next.

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She waited 15 minutes to get access to his office and - Jackson then absent - was presented with a printed copy of the Bill.

It states a regulatory impact statement is not needed, because a business casefor the proposal had been prepared.

Lee said that showed the government was making no attempt at openness or transparency and New Zealanders deserved better.

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