Free-to-air sport bill to be voted down

NZ First MP Clayton Mitchell. The Bay of Plenty Times Picture by Andrew Warner

A proposal to make All Black tests and other national sporting events free-to-air is set to be voted down today.

The private members bill in the name of New Zealand First MP Clayton Mitchell would ensure any game of "national significance" is freely available to all New Zealanders.

That includes all international rugby, rugby league, netball, cricket, and football games either played in New Zealand or in a major event such as a world cup, the Summer and Winter Olympics and the Commonwealth Games, and National Rugby League (NRL) grand finals or Super rugby finals featuring a New Zealand team.

During debate on the bill last month, Mitchell said it was unfair to expect New Zealanders to pay a billion dollars in taxes each year towards sports and recreation, and then shell out again for Sky TV to watch games of national significance.

"Whether it be the Olympics or the Commonwealth Games, the Rugby World Cup or international netball, people have a birthright to see these games live and free to air."

Mitchell's speech was peppered with interruptions from Mallard. When the NZ First MP said living an active lifestyle was important for the country and could save taxpayers' money, Mallard called out, "how does sitting on your couch help that?"

Mallard, a former Sports Minister, said the legislation was well intentioned but "very, very poorly thought through".

"A bill like this will never pass. It cannot pass. No Government is going to take $125 million a year, roughly, off sport in New Zealand. No Government-no Government-is going to take roughly $125 million, the sporting rights' income, away from sports in New Zealand. No Government is going to be prepared to make that money up," Mallard said.

"I will give you an example from this bill, and that is of the person who, a decade ago, got $100 in development funding from the taxpayer and is now in an international wrestling meet in Kazakhstan.

"It is not broadcast in Kazakhstan but there is an obligation, under this bill, for New Zealand to send cameras there and to broadcast it back to New Zealand. The bill is really badly drafted, it is not thought through, and it is not planned."

National opposed the bill, with its MP Brett Hudson saying it would lead to poorer coverage of sports events as had been the case when "Grahame Thorne had his perm".

"If we were lucky-if we were lucky-we got the games a couple of hours late, and the coverage was absolute rubbish, from maybe one or two camera angles. We have far better coverage of all sorts of sports in a world where we have competitive tensions and where companies are prepared to invest in the equipment to broadcast this stuff, and then compete for the rights to do so."

The Green Party indicated it would support the legislation, with MP Julie Anne Genter saying it was worth considering at select committee, despite the apparent fish hooks.