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Deputy Prime Minister Michael Cullen says a recent misrepresentation of the Queen shows why MPs don't want media to use images from Parliament to satirise or ridicule MPs.
Media and MPs are at loggerheads over Parliament's ban on television broadcasters and print photographers using images to satirise, ridicule or denigrate MPs in the House.
Dr Cullen said a recent case where the BBC apologised to Queen Elizabeth for implying in a documentary trailer that she had stormed out of a photo-shoot with celebrity photographer Annie Leibovitz was a good demonstration of what MPs were worried about.
"The issue the MPs are most concerned about is misrepresentation and I think the Queen probably shares our view now," Dr Cullen told reporters this morning.
"She in fact had a similar experience to what in fact we are quite worried about which is the ability to manipulate pictures to present a false picture of what actually happened."
Last month MPs voted 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 denigrate MPs.
The rules, now in effect, 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.
Some media have gone out of their way to break the rules and today the Dominion-Post started a caption competition using photographs of MPs. Today's picture was of Foreign Minister Winston Peters being bestowed with a Samoan chiefly title.
Dr Cullen decided that was not satire.
"I do note today, and this is where I think this gets silly, The Dominion has 'bravely' published a photo of Winston which is supposed to be satire or ridicule. It is actually a picture of the Minister of Foreign Affairs of New Zealand receiving Samoan chiefly status and wearing traditional Samoan garb to do so," he said.
"If the Dominion thinks that's satire or ridicule it says something about their attitude to Samoan culture."
Once outrage to the new rules became clear, National, ACT and the Greens said a reconsideration was needed.
Newspapers have also protested the new rules, particularly clauses that allow TV -- but not print photographers -- to use images of MPs reacting to events in Parliament.
The old rules, still in force for print media, only allow images of MPs who are on their feet speaking.
The rules were revamped because of a new service starting today where all of Parliament's debates will be filmed.
The footage will be available to broadcasters free of charge, but so far none have taken up the offer.
The service will cost $4.43 million in the 2006-2007 financial year and about $1.8 million a year to operate after that.
- NZPA
