David Farrar: Taxpayer funded Chloe promo must now show within a year of the election

Shayne Currie reports:

A contentious, part-taxpayer-funded documentary on Greens co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick – due for release more than a year ago – is still months away from a cinematic and TV release, almost four years after more than $200,000 in public money was approved.

It is bad enough that taxpayers have had to fork out $200,000 for a propaganda film about Chloe. But after insisting it would be timed to avoid the 2023 election, we now find out they will probably be showing it within a year of the 2026 election. If that isn’t election interference, what is?

Everyone knows that this documentary will in no way be balanced or critical, but will be a hagiography about how amazing Chloe is, because she managed to be selected by Green Party delegates to a winnable list place and then won an electorate seat.

One could make a more compelling case for a documentary about another young MP who didn’t come in on a party list, managed to win an electorate in his early 30s, passed a major societal law change with cross-party support, resurrected his party from 0.5% popular support to almost 10%, and eventually rose to be Deputy Prime Minister.

Now do you think a taxpayer funded documentary on the latter young MP would be universally flattering and sycophantic, or would it be deeply critical?

David Farrar runs Curia Market Research, a specialist opinion polling and research agency, and the popular Kiwiblog where this article was sourced. He previously worked in the Parliament for eight years, serving two National Party Prime Ministers and three Opposition Leaders