![]() That’s more than half the country’s voters, who are likely to resent paying taxes to fund culture which appears to disdain them. The screen industry can feel hostile not just to any of the parties now in government but, as Forrester’s comment implied, to anyone who voted for them. The gaming industry’s incentive win in last May’s budget is already strongly rumoured to be in the gun.Īll of which is to say that while the night was fun and fierce in all the right places, it is also true that the comments risk poking a bear. It’s not hard to imagine that some of the savings might be found by cutting the budgets of those funding agencies - or even the hammer blow of reassessing the screen industry’s screen production rebates. There’s a pre-Christmas mini budget on December 20, and then the big show in May. There has been much made of the terrible state of the government’s books by finance minister Nicola Willis. Parts of this coalition are already suspicious of the media sector, as evidenced by Winston Peters’ extraordinary comments last week. That has been the case for some years now - but as those powerful comments rang out from the stage, I wondered how they might land with the new government and what it might do (or not do) in response. Currently, that impact is felt most acutely at places that screen the shows - the production houses that make them are somewhat shielded through NZ on Air’s role in funding shows. That show’s ending feels like it’s the most glaring symptom yet of an industry that is struggling mightily financially. Forrester made some pretty cold jokes about the end of The Project, which had apparently been cleared with Jesse Mulligan but still felt raw. The tensions within the industry were heavy in the air on Tuesday. Perhaps that’s for the best, as the reception would likely have been frosty. A valid excuse, but not one that prevented Jackson from attending. Parliamentary under-secretary Jenny Marcroft was also absent - though told me it was due to the opening of parliament. It felt telling that there were no representatives from the new government in the room - no Melissa Lee, our new media minister, nor Paul Goldsmith, minister for culture. Even more broadly, the screen production sector relies on favourable tax treatment through screen production rebates.įormer broadcasting minister Willie Jackson was in the room, but he was the only MP there. Still, it’s an uncomfortable truth that of the 500 or so people in the room and the 37 awards presented, the bulk owe their existence to some strand of government funding, whether through New Zealand on Air, the Film Commission or Te Māngai Pāho. The fact that there was so much reo spoken and so many Māori on stage collecting awards shows how passionate much of this industry is about our indigenous language and culture - it’s hard to imagine any legislation impacting that energy here. Julian Wilcox joked darkly that he would “try and get as much reo in before the coalition government bans it”. Rena Owen noted sadly that “people died for Te Tiriti o Waitangi.” Mihi Forbes said, “Today the Crown is promising to replace the treaty principles”. That sentiment was echoed in multiple speeches and asides. ![]() After the ceremony was opened by Ngāti Whātua, MC Kura Forrester asked the crowd, “All the National voters in the house, are you alright – anyone need a translation?” The increasingly fractious relationship between the fresh coalition and many Māori gave a sharp hook to the awards. The NZ TV Awards took place in downtown Auckland on Tuesday, which coincided with Te Pāti Māori’s National Māori Action Day. ![]() This is an excerpt from The Spinoff’s weekly pop culture newsletter Rec Room. How will the new government look at our television? Duncan Greive reflects on this year’s awards ceremony.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |