RNZ chairman considering call for recording

WELLINGTON: Radio New Zealand chairman Richard Griffin says he is still considering whether to hand over a voice recording left on his phone by Broadcasting Minister Clare Curran.

A parliamentary committee on Thursday requested the voicemail and other communications, after Mr Griffin and RNZ chief executive Paul Thompson returned to set the record straight on the nature of a meeting between Ms Curran and former head of news Carol Hirschfeld.

The voicemail is the key to determining whose account of the conversation is correct.

Ms Curran has insisted she was merely passing on advice from the Office of the Leader of the House that Mr Griffin was not required to appear at the Economic Development, Science and Innovation Select Committee and a letter would suffice.

Mr Griffin told the committee on Thursday: ‘‘The implication was, as far I was concerned, that it would be far more satisfactory to all concerned if we just put a letter on the table and left it at that.’’

Mr Griffin said yesterday he would consider over the weekend whether to hand it over, even though efforts were already under way to retrieve the voicemail from his mobile phone.

‘‘People are trying to retrieve it. It’s not Radio New Zealand’s property, it’s mine. It’s my private phone.

‘‘I asked them yesterday to retrieve it but I’m having second thoughts about it.

‘‘Well, I’m not having second thoughts . . . I don’t think anything’s going to be achieved by it.’’

Select committee chairman Jonathan Young said the committee could not compel RNZ to hand over information but it could ask the Speaker to issue a subpoena for it.

That was likely to happen if any of that information was refused.

Mr Young said it was too early to consider whether the committee would seek to call Ms Hirschfeld. — NZME