KEY POINTS:
Prime Minister Helen Clark instigated the joint blackballing of the smaller parties from the televised leader's debates, says TV3 news chief Mark Jennings.
Mr Jennings said the Labour leader did not want to share the stage with the smaller parties, and talked National leader John Key into joining the boycott.
"Clark told me two months ago that it has always been her view there are too many people in the debates."
Mr Jennings said he explained that he did not see any way around it, after the court order that forced TV3 to include United Future leader Peter Dunne and Progressives leader Jim Anderton in a debate before the last election.
"She [Helen Clark] said to me: 'Oh, it does get messy, doesn't it'."
Mr Jennings said there was then a "backroom deal" involving their chiefs of staff, but "ticked off" by the leaders. "There are four people involved in this - Helen Clark and Heather Simpson, and John Key and Wayne Eagleson."
TV3 has been criticised by the smaller parties for capitulating to the boycott and cancelling a planned debate featuring all party leaders because it would be "unviable" without Helen Clark and Mr Key. It will now screen only a head-to-head debate between them.
Mr Jennings said he was disappointed in Mr Key for going along with the boycott.
"I don't understand why Key agreed to it, because he is making a major play of leading a new government. Why wouldn't he want to share the stage with the players that could well be part of that."
Mr Jennings and his counterpart at TVNZ, Anthony Flannery, wrote a joint letter to both leaders urging them to reconsider, saying: "We consider it to be of fundamental importance in an MMP environment, that these debates take place, with all the party leaders involved."
Helen Clark has said the agreement was made at chief-of-staff level, but could not recall who made the first approach, saying it was "lost in the mists of time".
The Canadian election has just had a similar controversy. The Greens leader was initially shut out of a televised debate, but a public outcry prompted opposing leaders to drop their boycott.
The Green Party is considering a symbolic pre-emptive strike against TV3 by complaining to the Broadcasting Standards Authority about its blackballing before the debate is even screened.
Green Party co-leader Jeanette Fitzsimons said the debate appeared to breach the "balance" section of the authority's free-to-air code.
The code says programmes which deal with political matters "must show balance and impartiality" and "broadcasters should aim to present all significant sides in as fair a way as possible" - but only applies once it has been broadcast.
Ms Fitzsimons said: "it is certainly morally a breach, regardless of whether it is legally a breach. I think everybody senses that ... this is contrary to the general rules of balance that the media are meant to observe."
WHERE IT STARTED
* That's probably lost in the mists of time.
Prime Minister Helen Clark, Monday
* She's [Helen Clark] talked Key into it, they've done a backroom deal.
TV3 news chief Mark Jennings, yesterday
