MP ousted in TV film outburst

A row over television coverage of Parliament escalated yesterday when Act leader Rodney Hide was ejected after accusing Labour of stacking its benches for the benefit of the cameras.

In a rare move, Speaker Margaret Wilson called for the Serjeant-at-Arms to escort Mr Hide from the debating chamber after he refused to leave.

Clerk of the House David McGee later said that the last time he could recall the Serjeant-at-Arms escorting an MP from the House was during Gerard Wall's tenure as Speaker from 1985 to 1987.

Mr Hide was ejected after a rowdy exchange over empty Labour backbench seats and whether news cameras could film them.

TVNZ, TV3 and the Commonwealth Press Union are worried at a plan to exclude news cameras in favour of Parliament's own system to be installed this year.

The organisations say it will erode media freedom and threatened the networks' editorial control.

Parliamentary officials are keen to avoid cluttering the public galleries with cameras, and although Ms Wilson is promising more meetings on the $6.2 million system, the networks are not optimistic about the outcome.

Both networks broke the rules governing coverage of Parliament in news items last night after 3 News deliberately breached them on Wednesday by showing Cabinet minister David Benson-Pope asleep during question-time to highlight the camera row.

Last night 3 News rescreened that shot and showed more supposedly banned images - including Mr Hide being ejected from the House and National MP Georgina te Heuheu moving around the chamber in another story.

TVNZ followed suit, re-broadcasting TV3's image of Mr Benson-Pope and showing Mr Hide being escorted out.

Ms Wilson told Parliament yesterday she was still considering what action to take over the initial TV3 breach and would inform Parliament of her decision.

A short time later National deputy leader Gerry Brownlee asked where all the Labour MPs were and wondered if there was "some fire alarm that we haven't been told about".

Mr Hide then accused Labour of wanting to control the cameras and shifting its MPs forward so Labour's benches looked as if they were packed.

He remained on his feet despite Ms Wilson's request for him to leave the chamber after he refused to sit. Finally she ordered the Serjeant-at-Arms to "assist" him to leave.

In another apparent breach, the empty seats Mr Hide was talking about were also shown on both networks last night.

Government junior whip Darren Hughes said later the performance of National and Act had been "nothing but a stunt" and 16 Labour MPs and ministers had been outside Wellington on public business.

Backbenchers had been asked to sit further forward than usual because of the eight absent ministers.

The CPU media freedom committee holds an emergency meeting today on the issue.

House rules

Television and still photography rules:

* Coverage should be "medium range" and concentrate on the Speaker and MP who has the call.

* Occasional wide-angle shots of the chamber gradually returning to focus on the MP speaking are allowed.

* Filming interjections and interruptions from the public gallery is banned.

* Panning shots of the chamber and closeups are banned.

Source: Rules issued by former Speaker Jonathan Hunt in August 2000