PM must address mother of all salaries

Tuesday 14 Dec 2004

Rodney Hide - Press Releases - Broadcasting

ACT Leader Rodney Hide today described Television New Zealand's latest "mother of all salaries" as a major embarrassment for Helen Clark who over the years has piled pressure on the state broadcaster to end any extravagance.

"This is the same Prime Minister who said she was revolted by Paul Holmes' $760,000 salary, who thought TVNZ was treating public cash like monopoly money when John Hawkesby was paid out, and who said salaries paid to TVNZ's top presenters made her own pay look like petty cash.

"In Government, Helen Clark has again thrown tens of millions at TVNZ this year via a handsome dividend, as well as millions to New Zealand On Air, and millions to implement the Charter."

Mr Hide said the Government's annual cash giveaway comes with little accountability and no rules attached.

"Such generosity has helped to get her on television every night and has starved off TVNZ's competitors, but Helen Clark seems to have conveniently forgotten that she was the one that banged on about TVNZ's excesses."

"TVNZ is using its unfair advantage of having a bottomless pit of taxpayers' money to shove it to TV3 and Prime. The Prime Minister needs to pull in the TVNZ board and remind them just how much taxpayer cash is pumped into TVNZ," said Mr Hide.

ENDS

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