TVNZ chairman backs down on Speaker's decision

TVNZ's outgoing chairman Craig Boyce has backed down from his initial criticism of the decision to send the TVNZ board to the privileges committee, saying he now welcomes it.

Mr Boyce told the Dominion Post newspaper on Thursday that Speaker Margaret Wilson's decision to refer the board to the powerful privileges committee over its censure of former TVNZ chief executive Ian Fraser was "disappointing".

He blamed the lack of a Government majority on the finance and expenditure committee for the original decision to send the matter to the Speaker for consideration and said any Government entity that had to report to a select committee became "a political football of the Opposition".

He was surprised that senior members of Parliament preferred the views of Mr Fraser over those of the board.

But yesterday Mr Boyce, who stands down in April, said he had had an opportunity to review the Speaker's decision and was now encouraged that she appeared to be seeking greater clarity about the rights of employers and employees when appearing before select committees.

"The question remains how far should the conventions of Parliament take precedence over the protection of the reputation of the company and the legitimate concerns of an employer regarding the retention of shareholder value," he said.

National finance spokesman John Key, who was behind the bid to send the board to the privileges committee, said Mr Boyce's original comments had put at risk the sincerity of the board's apology and withdrawal of its charge of serious misconduct against Mr Fraser. "Given everything the board of TVNZ has been through, I strongly suggest Mr Boyce engages his brain before he further engages his mouth. This company just stumbles from disaster to disaster."

The board's actions raised concerns among MPs that it may have committed a contempt of Parliament because it punished Mr Fraser for comments protected by parliamentary privilege.