Dunne formally complains over TV3 debate

United Future leader Peter Dunne has formally complained about TV3's decision to exclude him from the network's leaders debate next Thursday.

Mr Dunne today lodged complaints with TV3 news chief Mark Jennings, the Broadcasting Standards Authority and the Electoral Commission.

"TV3's executives seem to think that having one commercial hour of debate (ie 44 minutes in reality) is enough for the voters of New Zealand to make up their minds on who should be in Parliament," Mr Dunne said.

Mr Jennings has decided to have only six leaders and they would be decided by the last poll that TV3 conducted.

Under this formula, Mr Dunne and Progressive Leader Jim Anderton would not make the cut.

The six top leaders would be Labour's Helen Clark, National's Don Brash, New Zealand First's Winston Peters, one of the co-leaders from the Greens and the Maori Party, and Act's Rodney Hide.

In the last TV3 poll ACT beat United Future by 0.2 per cent with both polling very lowly.

"By deciding which parties to include and which to exclude, TV3 is actually usurping the public's right to an informed decision," Mr Dunne said.

Mr Jennings said: "Last time around we had five parties and it was clear to us that we were struggling to give them a fair say each... It's being more democratic because it actually allows these people to have some time to state their case and debate."

Many consider that Mr Dunne's success at the last election was due to his performance on one television debate lifting his party's profile as a potential stable coalition partner for Labour.

- NZPA