BSA Decisions Ngā whakatau a Te Mana Whanonga Kaipāho

Summary  

[This summary does not form part of the decision.] 

The Authority has declined to determine a complaint a 1News segment about the announcement of New Zealand First’s ‘Kiwi Kids Grant’ policy, where a graphic of the New Zealand First logo above a ticked box next to ‘Party vote’ was displayed, breached the balance and fairness standards. The complainant considered the graphic indicated bias and encouraged people to vote for New Zealand First. The Authority declined to determine the complaint, noting the arguments raised did not identify any potential harm at a level requiring intervention.

Declined to determine (section 11(b) of the Broadcasting Act 1989 – in all the circumstances): Balance, Fairness

The broadcast

[1]  The 2 August 2026 broadcast of 1News on TVNZ 1 included an item about New Zealand First’s election pledge to introduce a ‘Kiwi Kids Grant’, designed to encourage citizens to increase the New Zealand birth rate, by providing financial assistance to parents with newborns. While the item was introduced, a graphic of Winston Peters, the New Zealand First logo and a ticked box to the left of the phrase ‘party vote’ was displayed.

[2]  The broadcast included clips of commentary from members of the public with young children, a Public Policy Researcher, Labour MP Jan Tinetti, and Peters’ speech presenting the pledge.

[3]  In the two clips of Peters’ speech, there were banners on both sides of the podium with the New Zealand First logo, and a ticked box to the left of the phrase ‘party vote’. The ticked box banners appeared twice in the broadcast.

The complaint

[4]  Dave Hookway-Kopa complained the broadcast breached the balance and fairness standards of the Code of Broadcasting Standards in New Zealand. He said the inclusion of the tick box logo ‘amounts to promoting a course of action in regard to this party and [I] have never seen such a graphic used in news stories relating to other parties’.

[5]  In his referral to the Authority, the complainant further said the tick box logo ‘encourages people to Party Vote [NZ First] – this wasn’t necessary and would have been ok in my view if the TVNZ editorial team had solely chosen the NZ First regular logo WITHOUT the tick box graphic’. Including this logo showed bias towards NZ First.

The broadcaster’s response

[6]  Television New Zealand Ltd (TVNZ) did not uphold the complaint for the following reasons:

a)  ‘[TVNZ] is unaware of any significant level of controversy about New Zealand First’s policy announcement, but it is naturally likely to garner some public debate and so the [balance] Standard may have some application.’

b)  ‘Your complaint does not allege the absence of a particular significant viewpoint.’

c)  ‘The concerns you have raised do not relate to the expectations of the [fairness standard], but in any case, [TVNZ] disagrees that viewers would construe the image as any form of call to action by 1News.’

d)  ‘[I]mages like this feature at NZ First events including the announcement for the policy being covered in this 1News report. Simply displaying this footage and imagery in 1News is not an endorsement of that message.’

e)  ‘The images are often stylised, with visuals taken from the reporting in the story, as is the case here: the banner was used in NZ First’s event and can be seen across the stage where Mr Peters was speaking’

Outcome: Decline to determine

[7]  We have watched the broadcast and read the correspondence outlined in the Appendix.

[8]  Section 11(b) of the Broadcasting Act 1989 authorises the Authority to decline to determine a complaint if it considers, in all the circumstances of the complaint, it should not be determined.

[9]  In this case, the Authority considers it appropriate to exercise its s 11(b) discretion. The broadcast does not raise any issues of broadcasting standards at a level which warrants our consideration for the following reasons:

• The complaint concerns an interpretation of the broadcast that we consider unlikely to represent that of most viewers. Most viewers were likely to interpret the graphic of the tick box as a mere visual aid of relevance to the report, rather than an encouragement to vote for, or a promotion of, the New Zealand First party.
• The arguments raised by the complainant do not identify any potential harm at a level requiring our intervention.
• The relevant issue was satisfactorily addressed in the broadcaster’s decision. There is no need for the Authority to address this issue further.

For the above reasons the Authority declines to determine the complaint under section 11(b) of the Broadcasting Act 1989. 

Signed for and on behalf of the Authority

Susie Staley 
Chair
28 October 2026    

Appendix

The correspondence listed below was received and considered by the Authority when it determined this complaint:

1  Hookway-Kopa’s original complaint – 3 August 2026

2  TVNZ’s decision – 31 August 2026

3  Hookway-Kopa’s referral to the Authority – 12 September 2026

4  TVNZ’s confirmation of no further comments – 2 October 2026