Buzz from the Beehive
The applicants who applied for public funds under the name Eight Sisters have done nicely, thank you, from a trough called the Innovation Fund. They will receive $659,520 to develop a project called Wharenui Harikoa, described as “a large scale crocheted Wharenui to transform intergenerational trauma into joy and global connection”.
Wow.
And what will we get for our $659,520?
The information posted on the Ministry for Culture and Heritage’s website about the latest recipients of funding did not enlighten us because it has been written in a bewildering mix of English and te reo.
It says:
“This Kaupapa – Ko Wharenui Harikoa, he poro whaka hakoko, Ko Uenuku tawhana ki te Rangi. Whare Harikoa – is a refracting prism of Tūpuna-inspired light shining like a rainbow across the sky.”
The Minister of Arts, Culture and Heritage, Carmel Sepuloni, steered us to the ministry website when she announced “further support for the recovery and resilience of the arts, culture and heritage sector as part of its COVID Recovery Programme’s Innovation Fund”.
She did not mention the cost of the latest bunch of grants.
According to Point of Order’s tallying of the sums alongside each of the projects being funded, taxpayers have been tapped to the tune of $32,720,766.
The statement which omitted that number can be found on the Beehive website along with news that Ministers have been –
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- Telling Putin we won’t be recognising the results of his Ukraine referenda
Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta says New Zealand does not recognise the results of the sham referenda in Russia-occupied regions of Ukraine.
“These so-called referenda were not free or fair, and they very clearly were not held in accordance with democratic principles,” Nanaia Mahuta said.
“Instead, they were hastily organised under the threat of force, and Aotearoa New Zealand does not recognise the results.”
Mahuta said Russia has only one course of action available to it – cease immediately its illegal invasion of Ukraine, withdraw its troops, and return to diplomatic negotiations to resolve this conflict.
Anyone want to put money on Putin demonstrating that, actually, he has other options?
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- Grandstanding about the Government’s accomplishments in the mental health domain-
Health Minister Andrew Little – doing his ministerial thing in Cromwell – said the Government’s “flagship” primary mental health and addiction programme Access and Choice has delivered more than 500,000 sessions to New Zealanders needing mental health support.
These Access and Choice sessions have supported nearly 105,000 New Zealanders with mild to moderate mental health needs over the 2021/22 financial year.
“The Government promised to transform mental health care in Aotearoa and address the lack of free and easily accessible primary mental healthcare services. This programme is filling a void that helps prevent small issues becoming big problems.”
The programme recently celebrated another milestone, the creation of its 1000th contracted position .
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- Advocating disarmament to a military audience
Disarmament and Arms Control Minister Phil Twyford, in a speech to NZDF Command and Staff College, said some people might think a Disarmament and Arms Control Minister is a fish out of water making a speech about peace on a military base.
“A line of questioning I’ve had more than once in some of my public engagements as Minister is why New Zealand has a defence force at all, given our strong and principled stance on disarmament.”
He proceeded to argue there is no contradiction between strong, modern armed forces and being a force for peace in the world.
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- Stepping up the war against a kauri killer
Biosecurity Minister Damien O’Connor and Associate Environment Minister (Biodiversity) James Shaw celebrated the launch of the National Pest Management Plan (NPMP) for protecting kauri and the allocation of $32 million of funding to back the coordinated effort.
The aim is to slow the spread of the deadly Phytophthora agathidicida (PA) pathogen known as ‘dieback disease’ and restore native forests.
A National Pest Management Plan is the strongest protection the Government an take under the Biosecurity Act, O’Connor said.
And then there’s the Minister of Arts, Culture and Heritage who (while keeping quiet about the $32 million or thereabouts cost) announced her ministry’s handouts under the heading Government continues to future-proof arts, culture and heritage sector.
The Innovation Fund has been an integral part of the Government’s COVID-19 recovery, Sepuloni enthused,
“… and has been delivered in a new events-based approach to arts funding. It was designed to ensure arts funding was delivered across the motu through a closer relationship between the cultural sector and Government.”
The spend-up has supported 185 arts, culture and heritage projects,
“… many of which, are projects that are leading the recovery through some fascinating and ground-breaking innovation and ideas.”
Some of the ideas that came out of Te Urungi: Innovating Aotearoa events are already in action, Sepuloni said.
“For example, Aotearoa New Zealand Festival of the Arts received funding to develop a new values-based ticketing platform which empowers audiences to choose their own ticket price, thereby increasing access and participation in the arts sector.”
Great idea.
And maybe someone will apply next time for funding to develop a new value-based taxpaying platform, which empowers taxpayers to choose their own tax bracket, thereby increasing access and participation in the fiscal policy sector.
At the end of the statement, the Minister invited us to click here for the full list of Innovation Fund recipients
We did.
That’s where we learned about the work of the Eight Sisters.
A more modest $85,000 will go to an outfit called Funding HQ for a project
“To develop an online arts funding platform to build sector fundraising capability. ”
A much bigger sum – $344,136 – has been secured by the Maungaharuru-Tangitū Charitable Trust for a project titled Te Rerenga Kāreare
“To develop and install Te Rerenga Kārearea (falcon flight path), informing and engaging hapū and public about wāhi taonga through a path of i-Pou that promote recognition and desire to restore and protect wāhi taonga.”
The Prima Volta Charitable Trust has a project titled Shaping Future Voices. It has secured $322,460
“To activate a paid mentorship model with strong links to established opera companies and which combines tuakana-teina mentorship and opera into a powerful tool to transform ngā uri ō Te Matau-a-Māui, sharing knowledge and skills through singing.”
Small Hall Sessions gets $250,910
“To bring musicians of national and international repute to tour and experience the intimacy of the community halls of Hawke’s Bay for five consecutive nights.”
Latest from the Beehive
Speech
Speech to NZDF Command and Staff College
It’s a pleasure to join you today – and I extend a particular welcome to Marty Donoghue and Athena Li-Watts who are also joining me today.
Milestone of half a million mental health sessions delivered
The Government’s flagship primary mental health and addiction programme Access and Choice has hit the milestone of delivering more than 500,000 sessions to New Zealanders needing mental health support.
Government continues to future-proof arts, culture and heritage sector
The Government has announced further support for the recovery and resilience of the arts, culture and heritage sector as part of its COVID Recovery Programme’s Innovation Fund.
Government steps up kauri protection
protect kauri in our northern forests through the new National Pest Management Plan (NPMP) for the forest giant and the allocation of $32 million of funding to back the coordinated effort.
Russia’s Ukraine referenda a sham
Aotearoa New Zealand does not recognise the results of the sham referenda in Russia-occupied regions of Ukraine, Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta says.
Point of Order 
at least this bit is understandable ….. though I’m not sure that it’s a good use of that much of tax payers money, as for the rest of the grants……
Small Hall Sessions gets $250,910
“To bring musicians of national and international repute to tour and experience the intimacy of the community halls of Hawke’s Bay for five consecutive nights.”
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