Creative Kiwis and cockies are among the beneficiaries of government decisions announced yesterday.
The creative crowd was given support amounting to $95 million (or so), announced by Prime Minister and Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage Jacinda Ardern, who said thousands of artists and creatives at hundreds of cultural and heritage organisations have been given much-needed support to recover from the impact of COVID-19.
“The cultural sector was amongst the worst hit by the global pandemic,” Jacinda Ardern said.
The grand total was not highlighted in the press statement but these numbers help us work it out –
$25 million for Creative New Zealand
$1.4 million for the Antarctic Heritage Trust
$11.364 million to Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga
$18 million for the Museum of New Zealand Te papa Tongarewa
$2 million for the Museum Hardship Fund to be administered by Te Papa
Services
$31.8 million for Ngā Taonga Sound & Vision (including funding to prevent the loss of the audio and visual collection which is rapidly deteriorating)
$2.03 million for Royal New Zealand Ballet
$4 million for Waitangi National Trust Board
The cockies will get a share of the much bigger lump of money allocated for compensating them and others while our rivers and lakes are cleansed.
Environment Minister David Parker said primary sector and other groups will be financially assisted during the implementation of the new clean water standards through a $700 million fund that will create jobs in riparian and wetland planting, removing sediments and other initiatives to prevent farm run off entering waterways.
The statement didn’t draw too much attention to something called Te Mana o te Wai, which happens to be the government’s guiding principle and prioritises the health of the waterway, then the needs of people and then commercial needs.
With mātauranga Māori – or Māori principles – for water management as the guide, Parker says the government has developed a clear, robust and enforceable set of policies that will mean all New Zealanders can enjoy and benefit from healthy rivers and clean, safe water for decades to come.
At first blush, this looks like a programme based not on science but on a bizarre blend (distinctive to New Zealand) of science and indigenous spiritual beliefs.
We look forward to the announcement (if we are still around) when the government triumphantly pronounces the restoration of our waterways’ mauri and mana.
Mind you, we will want to know what measure was used to gauge the improvement of the mauri and mana and who did the measuring – scientists or spiritual leaders?
In other statements, the government has –
- Reiterated its deep concern following confirmation by China’s National People’s Congress of national security legislation relating to Hong Kong.
- Drawn attention to a bill (given its first reading) which requires Parliament to take action if a court says a statute undermines the rights we have been given in the New Zealand Bill of Rights Act.
- Expressed great satisfaction that new data shows the highest-ever percentage of women (49 per cent, as at 31 December 2019) on Government boards.
- Informed us that – thanks to the passage of the the Overseas Investment (Urgent Measures) Bill – key New Zealand assets will be better protected from being sold to overseas owners in a way contrary to the national interest.
Associate Finance Minister of Finance David Parker said the overseas investment law change was needed to prevent important New Zealand assets being sold without government scrutiny.
Interesting. Was he telling us important assets until now have been sold without government scrutiny?
The new measures include a new emergency notification regime which will require overseas persons to notify the government of certain investments with a controlling stake in an existing business or business assets, even if it is below the ordinary screening threshold of $100 million (or higher if a free-trade agreement applies).
The Government will assess these transactions and, if necessary, consider whether they are contrary to New Zealand’s national interest. If they are, it may impose conditions on, or – when no other option is available – block the transaction.
“Productive foreign investment has and will continue to be important to our economic wellbeing,” David Parker said.
Phew. Praise be for that. Our increasingly indebted country is becoming increasingly dependent on overseas capital.
The second of two Overseas Amendment Bills, No 3, has been referred to select committee.
It contains the remainder of the provisions from the phase two reform of the Overseas Investment Act. Those provisions and the amendments made through the urgent Bill now passed, will be subject to further parliamentary scrutiny through select committee.
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***
Release
28 MAY 2020
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The law setting out New Zealanders’ basic civil and human rights is today one step towards being strengthened following the first reading of a Bill that requires Parliament to take action if a court
Release
28 MAY 2020
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Release
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Release
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Key New Zealand assets will be better protected from being sold to overseas owners in a way contrary to the national interest, with the passage of the Overseas Investment (Urgent Measures) Bill.
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The Government is delivering on its commitment to clean up our waterways with a new package that will create jobs and benefit the value of New Zealand’s agriculture export and tourism offerings.
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Point of Order 
Reblogged this on The Inquiring Mind and commented:
A flurry of announcements, with much dross and potential waste, but also some concerning items in several areas
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