Buzz from the Beehive
We can only conjecture on what Shakespeare would name the political drama that has resulted in him being dismissed by Creative New Zealand as irrelevant for public funding in a decolonising Aotearoa but to retain the support of the Prime Minister and her Minister of Education.
All’s well that ends well, perhaps (although some tidying up remains to be done).
Or comedy of errors. Or Labour’s love lost- but then regained.
The news of Shakespeare regaining this love can be found in a press statement from Education Minister Chris Hipkins, posted on the Beehive website today along with news that our eager-to-please ministers are…
* Winding down their extraordinary COVID-19 powers
The Government is winding down the extraordinary powers used to fight COVID-19 through the emergency phase of the response while retaining a small number of baseline measures to contain the spread of the virus.
Key points:
- COVID-19 Public Health Response Act 2020 being significantly narrowed to allow for a limited set of public health measures, as a guard against new COVID-19 waves or variants
- This provides time to design future emergency epidemic response legislation
- New Zealand Traveller Declaration will no longer be required from Thursday
- The 7-day case isolation period and mask-wearing requirements for visitors in certain healthcare settings to remain for the time being as cases and hospitalisations tick up
* Braying about their latest fast-tracking of housing projects
Three new residential housing projects have been approved for consideration under the fast-track consenting process.
“These projects are in places where houses are needed,” Environment Minister David Parker said.
That’s reassuring. They won’t go where they are not wanted.
“… and, if they are consented, these developments will create 891 new homes and 912 extra jobs,”
The three projects approved under the fast-track referral process today are:
- Glenpanel, Ladies Mile – Te Pūtahi project in Lake Hayes, Queenstown;
- Kepa Road Apartments residential development in Kohimarama, Auckland;
- Wellsford North project in north Auckland.
* Packing their bags for overseas travel
Pacific Peoples and Associate Foreign Affairs Minister Aupito William Sio will represent the New Zealand Government at Niue’s Constitution Day commemorations this week.
Associate Finance Minister David Parker will represent New Zealand at this week’s Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Finance Ministers’ Meeting.
* Telling us what they were doing in Geelong
Australian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence Richard Marles hosted our Defence Minister in Geelong for the annual Australia–New Zealand Defence Ministers’ Meeting. The outcome is the subject of a Point of Order report here.
But at Point of Order, we were keen to hear..
* How has the arts-funding Tempest been resolved?
Earlier this month we reported the call for a public inquiry into Creative New Zealand which raised questions about the legality of fund-distributing processes (until the past few days, this attracted scant interest from the state-subsidised mainstream media).
The call had been made in an article which alerted us to “the role and relevance of Shakespeare in Aotearoa” being challenged by a Creative New Zealand advisory panel.
CNZ advisors apparently had said “the genre [Shakespeare] was located within a canon of imperialism and missed the opportunity to create a living curriculum and show relevance to the contemporary art context of Aotearoa”.
One assessor felt the need to “question whether a singular focus on an Elizabethan playwright is most relevant for a decolonising Aotearoa in the 2020s and beyond”.
The alert to the cancelling of Shakespeare was made by Terry Sheat, son of the late Bill Sheat, in an article posted on the Scoop website and circulated among his network of contacts and friends via social media.
Act’s David Seymour recognised the stage had been set for whipping up a political storm – or tempest.
A press statement from him, headed ACT Defends Shakespeare From Creative NZ Activists, said:
“Ideological activists within Creative New Zealand (CNZ) are trying to cancel Shakespeare’s works in New Zealand because of its alleged “canon of imperialism”. The board that signed this off will be gone under ACT,” says ACT Leader David Seymour.
“After 10 years of funding the Sheilah Winn New Zealand secondary school Shakespeare Festival, CNZ have this year refused the $30k in funding. Their reason? They question whether the great bard “is most relevant for a decolonising Aotearoa in the 2020s and beyond.”
“CNZ doth protest too much, methinks. The assertion that Shakespeare is irrelevant to New Zealand is nonsensical. His works are hugely influential on the English language. He coined some of the most famous phrases – green eyed monster, cruel to be kind, wild goose chase, love is blind.
“This is activist ideology trying to remake New Zealand. If we are going to respect all cultures, that means all cultures.”
Seymour noted that CNZ funders had been happy to provide $107,000 to “The Savage Coloniser Show’ which claims to “address James Cook with fury” and “breaks the colonial lens wide open”, but they won’t provide less than one third of the funding to a successful festival that celebrates one of the greatest influences on the English language.
“CNZ actually admitted the festival’s success in their funding assessment document, which stated that it has strong youth engagement and positive impacts on participants. But apparently since it doesn’t fit in their neat ideological box it doesn’t matter.”
The United Kingdom and Australia were reporting in disbelief that New Zealand was cutting funding for Shakespeare’s works because of concerns of ‘imperialism’ and ‘colonial views’.
“We are becoming a laughing stock on the world stage.
“All cultures deserve respect in New Zealand, not just those that fit with the left’s ideology.”
Point of Order emailed the office of Carmel Sepuloni, Minister for Social Development & Employment, to draw her attention to Seymour’s press statement and ask:
Does your Minister agree with Creative NZ’s decision to stop funding this festival and its justification, that Shakespeare’s works are a “canon of imperialism” which is unfit for “a decolonising Aotearoa…?
If she does agree, would she therefore agree that Shakespeare no longer should be taught in schools?
The reply was:
“These decisions are at the discretion of Creative NZ who are independent and run an independent process within their mandate. The Minister does not have discretion over funding decisions made by Creative New Zealand.”
Today we learned the PM had intervened and before we knew it there was a statement from Education Minister Chris Hipkins, insisting :
Young people around the country won’t miss out on their opportunity to hone their acting skills and learn about Shakespeare.
The Ministry of Education has agreed to work with Shakespeare Globe Centre New Zealand and provide some support to help them through their current financial difficulties.
“The Sheilah Winn Shakespeare Festival in particular has given thousands of young people the opportunity to be creative, and increase their confidence on stage,” Chris Hipkins said.
“It would be a real shame if those coming through their education today were to miss out on these opportunities for learning and performing”.
Over the coming weeks the Ministry of Education will work through the necessary steps to ensure the benefits to young people from the festival and the work of the Centre can continue.
Latest from the Beehive
18 OCTOBER 2022
Extraordinary COVID-19 powers to be wound down
The Government is winding down the extraordinary powers used to fight COVID-19 through the emergency phase of the response while retaining a small number of baseline measures to contain the spread of the virus.
Shakespeare in schools to stay
Young people around the country won’t miss out on their opportunity to hone their acting skills and learn about Shakespeare, Education Minister Chris Hipkins said today.
Minister Sio to attend Niue’s Constitution Day
The Minister for Pacific Peoples and Associate Foreign Affairs Minister Aupito William Sio will represent the Government of Aotearoa New Zealand at Niue’s Constitution Day commemorations this week.
17 OCTOBER 2022
Joint Statement: Australia–New Zealand Defence Ministers’ Meeting
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence, the Hon Richard Marles MP, hosted New Zealand Minister of Defence Hon Peeni Henare in Geelong today for the annual Australia–New Zealand Defence Ministers’ Meeting.
Three more fast-tracked projects could create 891 homes and 912 jobs
Three new residential housing projects have been approved for consideration under the fast-track
Minister Parker to attend APEC finance ministers’ meeting
Associate Finance Minister David Parker will represent New Zealand at this week’s Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Finance Ministers’ Meeting.
Point of Order 