Media attacks: Seymour 'explained his comments well', says PM

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has swung in behind his deputy PM David Seymour, saying he did not overstep the mark in his criticisms of the public broadcasters.

Labour leader Chris Hipkins used Parliament's question time on Tuesday to ask Luxon whether he considered Seymour's recent attacks on both RNZ and TVNZ to be a breach of the law.

"The minister explained his comments well," Luxon replied. "I'm quite confident that he did not at any time direct RNZ or TVNZ."

Seymour last month used an interview on The Platform to criticise the recent appointment of John Campbell to Morning Report.

He suggested chief executive Paul Thompson "won't be answering the call at RNZ for much longer" and said the government was putting "better people" on the board to change the organisation's management.

Seymour also weighed in on the woes of TVNZ political editor Maiki Sherman, saying he was sure TVNZ's leadership would see it was "pretty difficult" for her continue in her role. Sherman resigned on Friday.

Legislation governing both RNZ and TVNZ prohibits ministers from directing the broadcasters regarding "a particular programme" or "the gathering or presentation of news".

Opposition parties and media commentators last week said Seymour's comments had crossed the line and undermined efforts to rebuild public trust in RNZ.

Responding at Parliament on Tuesday, Seymour told reporters that he had not given any direction to the media outlets.

"You guys tried to get an expert to try and criticise me, and the best they could come up with was, 'oh, he's broken the spirit of the rules'," Seymour said.

"Well, that that's exactly what Chris [Luxon] and I think too."

Seymour was asked whether he was living up to comments he made in 2023 that ministers needed to be "absolutely critically cautious about even the perception of interfering with media".

"Yeah, absolutely," Seymour replied. "We as politicians actually have a role, appointing the people that go on the board. And when we do that in a democracy, people want to know: why, what our objectives are, and are they good people?"

Seymour also questioned reporters' priorities for asking him about The Platform interview as opposed to more worthy topics like "solar policy, pharmacies, immigration".

"It kind of proves my point about why every day I get people asking me, 'what are you going to do about the media?'"

RNZ board chair Jim Mather last week defended RNZ's editorial independence and warned against political interference.

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