Fox 'sounded out' on Maori TV board

By AUDREY YOUNG

Veteran broadcaster and Wairoa mayor Derek Fox confirmed last night that he had been sounded out about being appointed to the board that will run the new Maori television channel.

He dismissed National Party claims that officials from Te Puni Kokiri had offered him $360,000 to become chief executive. "It would be completely improper."

The yet-to-be-appointed board would appoint the chief executive.

National MP Gerry Brownlee has called Mr Fox "the most dangerous Maori in the country" in reference to his plans to launch a new Maori party to take on Labour at the next election.

He accused Maori Affairs Minister Parekura Horomia of wanting to set up a "Fox network" in trying to promote Mr Fox as a key player in the new channel to get rid of a potential rival at the next election.

Mr Fox said he met Mr Horomia on Monday and Tuesday to receive a full briefing as the head of a committee last year which advised the Government on broadcasting.

"I told him that I am interested in helping out professionally in any way for some meaningful developments in Maori broadcasting.

"I've been talked to about board positions and I'm thinking about that."

Mr Horomia said whether it was "Mr Fox or Mr Wolf" appointed, there were processes to go through.

These were independent, and the Opposition was being mischievous.

The Government will appoint three board members, and four will be appointed by an electoral college. They will each receive $12,000 a year. The board appoints the chairman, who will receive $26,000 a year.

In Parliament, National MP Murray McCully accused Mr Horomia of misleading the Maori affairs select committee about Closing the Gaps monitoring programmes.

In June, Mr Horomia had promised the committee that it could have the future quarterly reports. But the committee was told the following week that the reports had been scrapped in March on instructions from the Prime Minister's Department and the cabinet.