KEY POINTS:
Prime Minister Helen Clark says she supports further talks over Parliament's ban on television broadcasters using images to satirise MPs in the House.
Last week, National joined Act and the Greens in calling for changes to the recently passed rules - known as standing orders - for the broadcasting of Parliament.
That decision follows the country's four main television networks announcing they would defy aspects of the rules, which they said had the potential to erode democracy.
MPs voted two week ago to institute the rules, which extend what can be filmed in Parliament, but ban the use of those images in a way that satirises, ridicules or denigrates MPs.
The rules, which come into effect on Monday, state that breaches can be treated as a contempt of Parliament - a charge that can result in imprisonment.
Journalists in Parliament's press gallery and the Commonwealth Press Union's media freedom committee have criticised parts of the rules as an attack on free speech.
National leader John Key said yesterday that the rules should be revisited and National would seek to have them put back on the agenda of Parliament's standing orders committee.
The stance is a turnaround for National, which initially supported the rules.
Helen Clark said Mr Key's change of mind made it difficult to run Parliament.
"It's very difficult to run an orderly Parliament when people discuss things in standing orders committee and come to unanimous decisions and then don't defend those decisions," she said.
"What I have called for last week is further dialogue with the press gallery to work through the issues ... I understand the Speaker had invited the press gallery to come to the standing orders committee and discuss the matter."
Newspapers have also protested against the rules, particularly clauses that extend the allowable use of images of MPs reacting to events to TV, but not to print photographers.
The old rules, which remain current for print media, only allow images of MPs who are on their feet speaking.
Act, National and the Greens have expressed some sympathy with the media's views, but Deputy Prime Minister Michael Cullen has accused journalists of overreacting to the rule change.
- NZPA
