1 00:00:07,133 --> 00:00:10,413 Speaker 1: You're listening to the Saturday Morning with Jack tam podcast 2 00:00:10,613 --> 00:00:11,693 Speaker 1: from News Talks at Me. 3 00:00:12,933 --> 00:00:15,453 Speaker 2: A headline in the news this week had me rolling 4 00:00:15,493 --> 00:00:19,853 Speaker 2: my eyes. Sometimes the arts make it hard for themselves. 5 00:00:20,333 --> 00:00:22,453 Speaker 2: The headline I'm referring to was about the New Zealand 6 00:00:22,493 --> 00:00:25,613 Speaker 2: Film Commission spending over sixteen thousand dollars on two farewell 7 00:00:25,653 --> 00:00:30,053 Speaker 2: and two welcome parties for their outgoing and incoming chief executives. Obviously, 8 00:00:30,133 --> 00:00:33,013 Speaker 2: no one stopped to think how this particular headline might 9 00:00:33,013 --> 00:00:36,173 Speaker 2: come across. If they had, the New Zealand Film Commission 10 00:00:36,293 --> 00:00:38,973 Speaker 2: might have read the room differently. It is not a 11 00:00:38,973 --> 00:00:41,933 Speaker 2: good look to have an autonomous Crown entity whose job 12 00:00:42,093 --> 00:00:45,493 Speaker 2: is to distribute public money to the film industry creating 13 00:00:45,533 --> 00:00:49,253 Speaker 2: headlines about throwing parties and the scheme of things. This 14 00:00:49,373 --> 00:00:51,213 Speaker 2: isn't that much money, and if we weren't in the 15 00:00:51,213 --> 00:00:53,293 Speaker 2: middle of a cost of living crisis and with a 16 00:00:53,333 --> 00:00:56,973 Speaker 2: government facing long term fiscal deficits, this may never have 17 00:00:57,093 --> 00:01:00,253 Speaker 2: made the headlines. I'm pretty sure I've been to similar 18 00:01:00,293 --> 00:01:02,853 Speaker 2: farewells in the private sector which have cost a lot more. 19 00:01:03,333 --> 00:01:06,413 Speaker 2: I should notice well that these celebrations took place in 20 00:01:06,133 --> 00:01:09,533 Speaker 2: twenty three before the October election, which delivered a new 21 00:01:09,573 --> 00:01:12,933 Speaker 2: government hell bent on making savings across the public sector, 22 00:01:13,373 --> 00:01:15,933 Speaker 2: as they should. But you could argue that we were 23 00:01:15,973 --> 00:01:19,733 Speaker 2: already in a cost of living crisis before the election. 24 00:01:19,893 --> 00:01:23,653 Speaker 2: A recession was expected, Labor had started tightening the belt 25 00:01:23,973 --> 00:01:26,773 Speaker 2: and clamping down on costs, and we knew the policies 26 00:01:26,813 --> 00:01:30,613 Speaker 2: of the potential new coalition partners. They should have anticipated 27 00:01:31,093 --> 00:01:34,013 Speaker 2: how this would look. And of course this follows news 28 00:01:34,053 --> 00:01:36,493 Speaker 2: that the New Zealand Film Commission paid a former boss 29 00:01:36,493 --> 00:01:38,613 Speaker 2: while over half a million dollars in leave in severance 30 00:01:38,653 --> 00:01:41,933 Speaker 2: payments just after nine months in the role when he 31 00:01:42,053 --> 00:01:45,533 Speaker 2: left in twenty twenty two. So none of this helps 32 00:01:45,533 --> 00:01:48,733 Speaker 2: the New Zealand Film Commission garner support from the public 33 00:01:49,133 --> 00:01:51,373 Speaker 2: and the New Zealand screen industry. It's worth the bomb. 34 00:01:51,413 --> 00:01:54,373 Speaker 2: It contributes three point five billion to the economy each year. 35 00:01:54,573 --> 00:01:57,533 Speaker 2: It's an incredible industry filled with some of the hardest working, 36 00:01:57,573 --> 00:02:00,413 Speaker 2: most innovative people I have ever worked with, and it's 37 00:02:00,493 --> 00:02:02,893 Speaker 2: world class. But when it comes to the arts and 38 00:02:02,933 --> 00:02:06,093 Speaker 2: culture and public perception, you'll never be able to compete. 39 00:02:06,093 --> 00:02:08,373 Speaker 2: For far against the need for a better education and 40 00:02:08,453 --> 00:02:12,693 Speaker 2: health system, more police and safer roads. These headlines also 41 00:02:12,733 --> 00:02:15,853 Speaker 2: great as many organizations have done incredible work over the 42 00:02:15,893 --> 00:02:19,613 Speaker 2: last nine months to ensure stability in this struggling industry. 43 00:02:19,933 --> 00:02:23,053 Speaker 2: SPARTA have been lobbying tirelessly to make sure New Zealand 44 00:02:23,053 --> 00:02:25,253 Speaker 2: on Air was exempt from having to make the across 45 00:02:25,293 --> 00:02:27,933 Speaker 2: the board seven point five percent cut being asked of 46 00:02:27,973 --> 00:02:31,453 Speaker 2: ministry funding. New Zealand's longest running soap, Shortman Street, will 47 00:02:31,453 --> 00:02:33,893 Speaker 2: air US three episodes a week in twenty twenty five, 48 00:02:33,933 --> 00:02:38,133 Speaker 2: a compromise to keep the long running drama alive. The 49 00:02:38,173 --> 00:02:40,653 Speaker 2: CEO of TV and Z proved she got the memo 50 00:02:40,693 --> 00:02:44,253 Speaker 2: about creating headlines after Jodie O'Donnell accept an invitation for 51 00:02:44,293 --> 00:02:47,373 Speaker 2: the IOC to attend the paras Olympics. She thought about 52 00:02:47,373 --> 00:02:50,133 Speaker 2: it decided it didn't pass the sniff test, so she 53 00:02:50,253 --> 00:02:52,653 Speaker 2: is taking leave and personally paying for the trip, even 54 00:02:52,733 --> 00:02:56,573 Speaker 2: though she will attend some meetings. A sensible decision, especially 55 00:02:56,573 --> 00:02:59,693 Speaker 2: considering this week. TVNZ also announced it needs to find 56 00:02:59,733 --> 00:03:03,333 Speaker 2: another thirty million in revenue or cuts. I am a 57 00:03:03,413 --> 00:03:06,613 Speaker 2: huge supporter of the arts, but silly headlines make it 58 00:03:06,693 --> 00:03:09,693 Speaker 2: hard to encourage others to support them too. Art and 59 00:03:09,733 --> 00:03:13,813 Speaker 2: culture is pivotal to creating vibrant cities, communities to fostering 60 00:03:13,813 --> 00:03:17,693 Speaker 2: a sense of belonging, pride, identity, and connection, and can 61 00:03:17,733 --> 00:03:21,173 Speaker 2: be a good source of revenue, so please stop making 62 00:03:21,213 --> 00:03:22,333 Speaker 2: it so hard to sell. 63 00:03:23,133 --> 00:03:26,213 Speaker 1: For more from Saturday Morning with Jack Tame, listen live 64 00:03:26,333 --> 00:03:29,133 Speaker 1: to News Talks ed B from nine am Saturday, or 65 00:03:29,213 --> 00:03:31,053 Speaker 1: follow the podcast on iHeartRadio.