Govt under fire over radio rights

Critics of an auction of the airwaves say it fails to safeguard Maori interests. RICHARD BRADDELL reports.

WELLINGTON - Maori groups are preparing to bid in the upcoming radio spectrum auction despite anger over the Government's refusal to acknowledge a Treaty of Waitangi claim.

As they line up to bid millions of dollars in the auction of third-generation mobile radio spectrums, the Government has been attacked for going no further than its predecessor in recognising Maori interests.

The Labour Government has continued the National-led Government's stance in refusing to recognise Treaty of Waitangi rights to the radio spectrum, drawing fierce criticism yesterday from Alliance broadcasting spokesman Willy Jackson, who said that its disrespect had concerned all Maori Labour MPs.

"Every Maori MP I've talked to on the Government side is absolutely unhappy with the set-up and the situation," he said.

Even so, Maori groups are preparing to bid for a special portion of the third-generation spectrum set aside by the Government for development by Maori interests in joint ventures with private sector participants.

That in itself amounts to a significant change in policy from the previous Government, and is possibly due to the decision to split the third-generation spectrum into a minimum of four ownership blocks to prevent one bidder from cornering it all.

Bidders for the special spectrum must demonstrate that Maori will be involved in the development, and that they are prepared to spend a minimum of $5 million within five years and $1 million in the first two years.

Already Maori groups are looking to bid for spectrum in conjunction with telecommunications partners.

Mia FM's general manager, Graham Pryor, said he would be consulting four iwi, and it was possible plans would be announced this week. The group would be talking to potential telecommunications company participants.

Tainui legal adviser Shane Solomon said that it, too, was looking into the possibility of a bid.

Labour MP John Tamihere said that Maori could exploit the potential offered by the spectrum only by drawing on the skills of partners, but he was keen that there should be Maori participation from "the boardroom through to the basement."

Describing the spectrum as an opportunity that all New Zealanders had yet to wake up to, he said there was a "huge capacity which we don't yet understand."

The auction is expected to attract considerable interest, although not perhaps at the level of the UK where a similar auction has so far attracted bids worth 26 billion pounds sterling ($78 billion).

Graeme Everton, a member of a group of Maori claimants, said there had not been "one iota" of policy work on Maori spectrum rights and the arrangement did not guarantee the long-term position of Maori.

He said the claimants, who include Professor Whataranga Winiata, derived their mandate from a national hui held last year. But they had been backed into a corner and could look to legal action.

The Alliance's Mr Jackson condemned the acting Communications Minister, Trevor Mallard, for ignoring Maori aspirations in the auction and behaving little differently from the previous Government.

The Government will retain a $15 million Maori language development grant offered by the previous Government, which many saw last year as a trade-off for silence on treaty spectrum rights with former Maori Affairs Minister Tau Henare.