Darfield debate to lack TV coverage?

Press, 27 July 1988, Page 8

Darfield debate to lack TV coverage?

The Darfield High School hall will be the focus of attention when Government Ministers and news media personalities of two nations debate the motion, “That Australia should become a province of Godzone.”

But will Television New Zealand be there?

The organiser of the debate, Mrs Judy Grant, said yesterday she was disappointed she had not received a reply to her suggestion that TVNZ film the event.

The August 6 debate certainly has the potential to be as big an event as TVNZ’s popular BNZ Festival Debates. The Australian team is George Negus, anchor for Channel Nine’s “Good Morning Australia” show; Mrs Ros Kelly, Australian Minister for Science Defence and Personnel; and David McNicholl, a “Bulletin” journalist. The judge will be Commander Bob Harler, of the United States Antarctic Support Force.

The New. Zealand team includes the BNZ debate veterans, Jim Hopkins and Dr Michael Cullen, Minister of Social Welfare, and a “Fair Go”

presenter, Kerre Woodham.

Mrs Grant; chairwoman of the Malvern Community Arts Council, said last evening that she had written to TVNZ’s directorgeneral, Mr Julian Mounter, on June 29, asking if TVNZ would film the debate.

As supporting reasons, she said in the letter that this was the Australian Bicentennial year, that there would be no other televised debate this year since BNZ had withdrawn sponsorship for that series, and this debate was organised by “a small country town doing something for itself in spite of the rural downturn." “I wrote to TVNZ a month ago, and haven’t even had a reply,” she said.

A spokeswoman for TVNZ was unable to say last evening how far the request had gone, but agreed to investigate.

Mrs Grant said that Australia’s Channel Nine had given “a considerable sum of money” in sponsorship for the event, but she did not know whether the Australians planned to film it.