10 June 2004
“No Politicians, No Extremists” Just Foreigners!
State Of Tvnz Spending The Real Issue Says Peters
Rt Hon Winston Peters wants Television New Zealand to explain how much it is costing to import a host for the State of
the Nation programme tonight and whether host Anita McNaught is being issued with her own gold plated credit card.
Mr Peters said today that he could not imagine the state-owned broadcasting system of any other country importing a
front person for a programme on nationhood.
“TVNZ already has an unfortunate reputation for being a reckless and frivolous spender of taxpayer dollars.
“The SOE’s executives, who have their feet, hands and noses firmly planted in the public trough, have now decided to
spend extra dollars bringing a British front person to join them.
“Perhaps they have forgotten that New Zealand is no longer a British colony and that we do have a number of television
front people who could do an excellent job.
“If the BBC was planning a programme to discuss Magna Carta or the Royalty, it is hard to imagine that state broadcaster
inviting Sean Plunket to front it,” said Mr Peters.
ENDS