Forget about what government spending is being cut – take a look at what this spending has done and is doing
Ministers of the Crown have drawn attention to one sector of the science sector which is unlikely to be subjected to heavy spending cuts, a state-funded broadcaster which is doing nicely, thank you, and a sporting event that had $5.4 million from the public purse puffed into its sails.
While outfits like Callaghan Innovation are reducing their staff numbers to meet what looks awfully like arbitrary government budgetary demands, the Minister of Science, Innovation and Technology and Space, Judith Collins, is enthusing about a Kiwi research project that is soaring towards the International Space Station.
The University of Canterbury research (government-funded) was launched on a rocket from the Kennedy Space Center at Cape Canaveral, USA today at 9.55am New Zealand time. It was accompanied by protein experiments from Canterbury, Otago, Victoria and Waikato universities.
The hardware, developed by Dr Sarah Kessans, is designed to operate autonomously in orbit, allowing scientists on Earth to study the ways proteins crystallise in microgravity and to use their insights to develop more effective medicines and vaccines among other applications.
This follows the recent launch of MethaneSAT, which will track and monitor global emissions from space and “demonstrates the huge potential of space to tackle some of the planet’s biggest challenges as we grow our globally competitive space sector.”
The flight stems from an agreement signed between the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) and US commercial space company Axiom Space to help New Zealand researchers advance space science and technology.
Dr Kessans’ project also recently received government funding for further development through the MBIE-administered Endeavour Fund.
“This flight is a leading example of academia, government and private enterprise working together to advance science and develop a new niche within the already burgeoning space economy,” Ms Collins says.
“This Government is committed to developing our space sector, fostering innovation and supporting partnerships between the New Zealand research community and international space agencies and commercial collaborators.”
Scientists who are bracing to be heaved out of their current jobs should look up. Space is where they need to be.
Another enterprise which can’t grumble about its government funding (but probably will) is Maori television.
Māori Development Minister Tama Potaka. obviously reckons it’s money well spent. He popped up to celebrate 20 years of Whakaata Māori.
Whakaata Māori – formerly known as Māori Television – describes itself as New Zealand’s national indigenous broadcaster.
It doesn’t get all its income from the taxpayer.
“We offer advertising opportunities across our entire range of programming. Of significant benefit to advertisers is our own limit on commercial minutes. At a current maximum of 4 minutes per hour advertisements on Whakaata Māori will have more of a natural “stand out factor”.
But government revenue obviously helps.
Potaka told a celebratory function New Zealanders have enjoyed a broader range of voices telling the story of Aotearoa thanks to the creation of Whakaata Māori 20 years ago.
“Whether it’s by Whakaata Māori, or iwi radio, or new online digital platforms still being developed, it is thanks you all here that the story of Aotearoa will be told by Māori media now and into the future.”
Does that sound like a guarantee?
Point of Order was reminded that Whakaata Maori’s financial strength and the source of it – compared with other media – was revealed in a recent article on Kiwiblog by David Farrar.
He posted this graph and wrote:
Click to view
The University of Canterbury research (government-funded) was launched on a rocket from the Kennedy Space Center at Cape Canaveral, USA today at 9.55am New Zealand time. It was accompanied by protein experiments from Canterbury, Otago, Victoria and Waikato universities.
The hardware, developed by Dr Sarah Kessans, is designed to operate autonomously in orbit, allowing scientists on Earth to study the ways proteins crystallise in microgravity and to use their insights to develop more effective medicines and vaccines among other applications.
This follows the recent launch of MethaneSAT, which will track and monitor global emissions from space and “demonstrates the huge potential of space to tackle some of the planet’s biggest challenges as we grow our globally competitive space sector.”
The flight stems from an agreement signed between the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) and US commercial space company Axiom Space to help New Zealand researchers advance space science and technology.
Dr Kessans’ project also recently received government funding for further development through the MBIE-administered Endeavour Fund.
“This flight is a leading example of academia, government and private enterprise working together to advance science and develop a new niche within the already burgeoning space economy,” Ms Collins says.
“This Government is committed to developing our space sector, fostering innovation and supporting partnerships between the New Zealand research community and international space agencies and commercial collaborators.”
Scientists who are bracing to be heaved out of their current jobs should look up. Space is where they need to be.
Another enterprise which can’t grumble about its government funding (but probably will) is Maori television.
Māori Development Minister Tama Potaka. obviously reckons it’s money well spent. He popped up to celebrate 20 years of Whakaata Māori.
Whakaata Māori – formerly known as Māori Television – describes itself as New Zealand’s national indigenous broadcaster.
It doesn’t get all its income from the taxpayer.
“We offer advertising opportunities across our entire range of programming. Of significant benefit to advertisers is our own limit on commercial minutes. At a current maximum of 4 minutes per hour advertisements on Whakaata Māori will have more of a natural “stand out factor”.
But government revenue obviously helps.
Potaka told a celebratory function New Zealanders have enjoyed a broader range of voices telling the story of Aotearoa thanks to the creation of Whakaata Māori 20 years ago.
“Whether it’s by Whakaata Māori, or iwi radio, or new online digital platforms still being developed, it is thanks you all here that the story of Aotearoa will be told by Māori media now and into the future.”
Does that sound like a guarantee?
Point of Order was reminded that Whakaata Maori’s financial strength and the source of it – compared with other media – was revealed in a recent article on Kiwiblog by David Farrar.
He posted this graph and wrote:
Click to view
TVNZ’S revenue is 5% lower in 2023 than 2015. They are a commercial broadcaster, so this is not surprising. It explains the layoffs – expenses would have gone up lots since 2015, and income has not.
nzme revenue is 16% lower in 2022 than 2015. But they have been increasing since 2020 with a 10% revenue increase over two years.
Māori TV’s revenue in 2023 46% higher than in 2015, and radio NZ is 43% higher. This shows how publicly funded media are in far more comfortable positions that commercial media.
Would be interesting to include Stuff in the graph, but their finances are private.
We await news from Melissa Lee, as Minister of Media and Communications, about what (if anything) the government intends doing for a media industry that is in serious financial trouble.
Her statements so far can be found here. Don’t look too hard. There’s nothing there.
For now, she can be found whooping about Christchurch gearing up to host the ITM New Zealand Sail Grand Prix.
Up to 22,000 people are expected to descend on Whakaraupō Lyttleton Harbour from 23-24 March to watch the highly anticipated ITM New Zealand Sail Grand Prix, for the second successive year, she said.
“The ITM New Zealand Sail Grand Prix is a world-class event that allows spectators to get up close and personal with some of the best sailing action right here in our own backyard. It’s clearly popular with the athletes too, who voted Christchurch the best venue on last year’s global series,” says Lee.
“The event provides wonderful opportunities off the water too, such as boosting tourism nationally and regionally, significant global exposure for New Zealand, with around 10 million people watching the live broadcast, opportunities for young people to engage in ancillary sailing activities and promoting women’s elite participation in the sport.
“It’s also great to have such a high profile event take place in the South Island, helping to spread the benefits of major events across the country.
Last year’s Sail-GP event attracted a crowd of 12,000 people and generated $8.5 million in value for the local and national economies, according to an economic impact report commissioned by Sail-GP.
The Government committed a multi-year investment of $5.4 million across four years (2023 to 2026) from the Major Events Fund to support Sail-GP events in New Zealand.
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Point of Order is a blog focused on politics and the economy run by veteran newspaper reporters Bob Edlin and Ian Templeton
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