The decision was taken by a team that Jacinda Ardern’s government appointed. Their appointments were approved by her caucus of 65 Labour MPs. Each of those MPs claims to uphold Labour Party traditions when they clearly don’t. Peter Fraser, one of the founders of the Labour Party, established state funding for arts and culture, and was, himself, an enthusiastic devotee of Shakespeare. In 1948, as Prime Minister, he made a special trip to Auckland to see Sir Laurence Olivier and Vivien Leigh in a performance of Shakespeare’s Richard III. Fraser knew his Shakespeare and would often choose a relevant quote when speaking in Parliament.
It’s important that those destructive government appointees to Creative New Zealand should be identified so that their contempt for New Zealand’s wider heritage, no matter which of the cultures represented in modern New Zealand he/she comes from, can be known. They are cultural vandals. Did any of them understand that in modern New Zealand, the Arts gain strength from their diverse origins, that “cancel culture” is no culture at all? Apparently not. If any of the named opposed the final decision, he or she should have the courage to stand up and tell us, or forever live with a black spot beside their names.
The Arts Council Board website shows the membership: The dates are when the person’s term expires.
Caren Rangi (Chair) [November 2024]
Historian Dr Michael Bassett, a Minister in the Fourth Labour Government, blogs HERE.
It’s important that those destructive government appointees to Creative New Zealand should be identified so that their contempt for New Zealand’s wider heritage, no matter which of the cultures represented in modern New Zealand he/she comes from, can be known. They are cultural vandals. Did any of them understand that in modern New Zealand, the Arts gain strength from their diverse origins, that “cancel culture” is no culture at all? Apparently not. If any of the named opposed the final decision, he or she should have the courage to stand up and tell us, or forever live with a black spot beside their names.
The Arts Council Board website shows the membership: The dates are when the person’s term expires.
Caren Rangi (Chair) [November 2024]
Michael Prentice (Deputy Chair) [November 2024]
Roger King [September 2022]
Garth Gallaway [April 2023]
Janine Morrell-Gunn [September 2022]
Riria Hotere-Barnes [September 2022]
John Ong [September 2022]
Robyn Hunt [November 2023]
Kura Moeahu [November 2023]
Ane Tonga [November 2024]
Hilary Poole [November 2024]
Bonita Bigham [July 2025]
Whetu Fala [June 2025]
The Chief Executive of the New Zealand Arts Council who has made inflammatory comments is Stephen Wainwright
Roger King [September 2022]
Garth Gallaway [April 2023]
Janine Morrell-Gunn [September 2022]
Riria Hotere-Barnes [September 2022]
John Ong [September 2022]
Robyn Hunt [November 2023]
Kura Moeahu [November 2023]
Ane Tonga [November 2024]
Hilary Poole [November 2024]
Bonita Bigham [July 2025]
Whetu Fala [June 2025]
The Chief Executive of the New Zealand Arts Council who has made inflammatory comments is Stephen Wainwright
Historian Dr Michael Bassett, a Minister in the Fourth Labour Government, blogs HERE.
7 comments:
Who can be surprised. The 250th commemoration of the landing of Cook in New Zealand, 9 October 1769 was trashed. It was given a Maori name and the sole purpose of it was to celebrate the feat of the Polynesian navigators who arrived in NZ hundreds of years before; pick your date because it seems to be anytime between 1000 and 1300. This government has conducted cultural warfare on our European heritage. No event is too sacred to not give it a Maori re-branding. We live in a liberal democracy, do we?
Thank you, Dr Bassett, for publishing the names of these sorry souls who consider themselves 'creative' NZ- pathetic idealogues hopping on the bandwagon of 'indigenous is all'. I feel embarrassed for their ignorance and their unctuous virtue-signalling. For peanuts! $30.000 is hardly the issue, surely. (Wish I could think of an apposite quotation from Shakespeare to describe them - there must be one. Could only think of the 'unctuous' Uriah Heep. Watch out Dickens, you are surely for the chop as well)
Hypocrites, Named and shamed. Well done Dr Michael Bassett.
And the Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage is Carmel Seuloni. The associate Ministers are Jacinda Ardern and Kiri Allan.
Well said, Michael.
This is an egregious example of direct cancel culture, with a highly racist overtone.
The Creative New Zealand website provides an email address to make complaints regarding; a "funding policy, email the Chief Executive Stephen Wainwright at askthece@creativenz.govt.nz".
:-)
Judging by the names a typical example of co governance in operation. Incredibly we are expected to lap up maori culture dspite all the associated societal ills irrevocably associated.
Thank you Dr Bassett.
They are cultural vandals indeed!
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