26311 (2023). Hon Willie Jackson to the Minister for Media and Communications

26311 (2023). Hon Willie Jackson to the Minister for Media and Communications: Does the Minister intend “strengthen local democracy in the regions by supporting regional community newspaper and radio newsrooms including Access and iwi stations and enable them to link together to form a national network broadcasting and streaming video, audio and text” as found on page 17 of the 2023 New Zealand First Party manifesto, and if so, what advice, reports, briefings, aide memoires, or any other documents has the Minister, or any member of their Office commissioned on this by title and date?

Hon Melissa Lee: No decision has been taken to “strengthen local democracy in regions by supporting regional community newspaper and radio newsrooms including access and iwi stations and enable them to link together to form a national network broadcasting and streaming video, audio and text”. The titles and dates of papers I have commissioned in my capacity as Minister for Media and Communications from the Ministry for Culture and Heritage are proactively released on a monthly basis and are available at: https://mch.govt.nz/proactive-releases. Some titles may be excluded from proactive release on the basis that it is not in the public interest to release them at this time.