TVNZ about to feel the heat as Fraser case looms

TVNZ will again feel the political heat this week, as Parliament's powerful privileges committee meets to consider its fate.

The committee, which convenes on Thursday, is looking into whether TVNZ committed a contempt of Parliament when it accused outgoing chief executive Ian Fraser of serious misconduct.

TVNZ moved to strip Mr Fraser of his already limited duties after he complained to a select committee inquiry that the state broadcaster's board held "secret bitch sessions" about management and insinuated board members leaked information intended to destabilise him and news head Bill Ralston.

The broadcaster's actions spurred a personal grievance claim by Mr Fraser and complaints from MPs that his evidence was covered by parliamentary privilege and that TVNZ's actions, if allowed, would set a chilling precedent for future select committee witnesses.

TVNZ later apologised, but on Friday Speaker Margaret Wilson referred the matter to the privileges committee.

MPs on the committee yesterday were unwilling to pre-empt the committee's proceedings by commenting, but it is understood the meeting will probably set a timeline for consideration of the issue.

As well as the matter of disciplinary action, some MPs could also seek to investigate what other actions TVNZ took to prevent employees giving evidence to the finance and expenditure committee inquiry.

Outgoing TVNZ chairman Craig Boyce last year told the finance and expenditure committee he had blocked the appearance of Mr Ralston, as he believed hauling a news head in front of a parliamentary committee could damage editorial independence.

Thursday's meeting of the privileges committee will be its first in the new Parliament.

The committee sits like a court and has wide-ranging powers.

Punishments the committee can mete out include stripping a person of the privileges of Parliament, issuing reprimands, levelling fines or even imprisonment, which has been used hundreds of times in the British House of Commons but never here.

Former privileges committee chairman Matt Robson said last week that the committee would have the power to dismiss the TVNZ board for punishing Mr Fraser for exercising his lawful duties, if it wished.

One recent case to go before the privileges committee was that of Labour MP Harry Duynhoven, who was caught by a law which said a seat became vacant if an MP acknowledged allegiance to "any foreign prince or power".

Mr Duynhoven triggered the law when he applied to renew his Dutch citizenship, but the Government moved to quickly amend the law.

- NZPA