Finance Minister Bill English has expressed confidence in Maori Television's recruitment process for a new chief executive.
A frontrunner, Paora Maxwell, resigned as general manager of Maori and Pacific programmes at Television New Zealand under a confidential agreement in January.
During Parliament's question time on Wednesday, Labour MP, Clare Curran, asked the minister if he has confidence in the board of Maori Television, to which he replied yes.
She then asked Mr English if he was aware the chair and board turned down a briefing by TVNZ chief executive Kevin Kendrick, in relation to Mr Maxwell's history at TVNZ.
Mr English replied saying he would expect that the board, having been appointed to run Maori TV, will conduct whatever process is appropriate.
The Labour MP then asked if it was satisfactory to him, as a shareholding minister, to have a CEO of Maori Television who left his former role under what she called a cloud of 'financial and staff mismanagement'.
Mr English said it's the board's responsibility to decide who to recruit, and it's not up to him to tell them who not to choose.
