NEW ZEALAND: Jacinda Ardern accused of paying the media to the tune of £55million

Jacinda Arden accused of paying off the media to the tune of £55million

Must be fake conspiracy theory of course 🥴 pic.twitter.com/ErGNiRGWXT

— ZNeveri (@ZNeveri) November 19, 2021

Politics is most beautiful when the politicians are attacking, humiliating, downgrading each other.  

Honor Judith Collins, Leader of the Opposition,

What does she say to people who are concerned that her $55 million-dollar public interest journalism fund, which includes numerous criteria for media to adhere to, is influencing the editorial decisions of media outlets in New Zealand? 

Rt. Honorable Jacinda Ardern:  

Mr. Speaker, I would absolutely reject that.  But Mr. Speaker, better yet, I would put the question to the media and ask whether they agree with that sentiment. 

David Seymour

what then would happen to a media outlet that received money under the fund—and wanted to report a story deemed inconsistent with the principles of the Treaty ofWaitangi, which is one of the requirements to adhere to? 

Ardern  

Oh, Mr. Speaker, I absolutely reject the idea that there’s political influence in broadcasting and media. 

Seymour  [point of order]

Mr. Speaker, the question was what would happen? I don’t think that’s been addressed other than a very generic comment about media.  This is a question about what the conditions are under this fund and how it operates, and we didn’t hear that addressed at all other than a bland, generic statement.