Bob Jones created his libertarian New Zealand Party in 1983 out of disgust with the Muldoon-led National Government’s policies, such as wage and price freezes. And Supplementary Minimum Prices (SMPs), the government-funded agricultural subsidy scheme introduced in 1978 to guarantee floor prices for pastoral products like meat and wool.
Jones campaigned across the country for greater economic liberalism when Muldoon called a snap election in 1984.
His policies – as he told an election campaign audience in the Wellington Town Hall – included getting rid of the country’s defence budget. He regarded it as a huge waste of public money.
When a member of the audience demanded to know what would happen when the Russians invaded, Jones retorted: “Why would the Russians want to take over this country? Then they have to pay the full price for their mutton?”
Whether Jones would have diverted Defence dollars into the arts is uncertain, but he was a financial supporter – among other causes – of the Royal New Zealand Ballet
The PoO team was reminded of his views after Dame Lynda Topp said what she thought of the government’s “lousy” arts funding.
RNZ reported:
Surviving Topp Twin, Dame Lynda, has delivered a blistering impassioned volley at the government for overlooking the arts in this year’s Budget, and been met with a standing ovation at the Aotearoa Music Awards.
Dame Lynda, who lost her twin sister Dame Jools earlier this week at the age of 68, fought back a wave of emotion as she stepped up to the microphone on Thursday night. She followed a tribute performance to the twins by Country Musician of the Year Tami Neilson with nominee Southland singer-songwriter Jenny Mitchell.
Dame Lynda showed she can match Donald Trump when it comes to expletives:
“We need support for artists in this country, we need a government that say the arts is more important than a defence budget. Way more!
“I see young artists struggling not because they’ve got a gig on Friday night – because they are trying to put through some sort of crazy mother****ing arts submission to get a few lousy dollars from the government.
“This is not fair! It’s not fair!”
Paul Goldsmith, Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage, happened to be in the audience.
Dame Lynda set her sights on him:
“I’ve got a message and Paul, if you listen up for a little minute, I’d like you to take a message back to Wellington.
“I did a speed read on the budget this afternoon, there doesn’t appear to be any money for music, but in big, big letters in the top of the news: $2.1 billion for defence. What the f***!”
By reading at speed she obviously missed a small one-off fund of $5.6 million will buy musical instruments for primary schools. The kits will be worth about $2000 each.
The Government will also provide a small amount of funding to keep Rock Quest, the music competition for high school students, going. It will receive $50,000 each year.
Other areas of the arts, however, must make cuts. The Royal NZ Ballet, New Zealand Film Commission, New Zealand Music Commission, and New Zealand Symphony Orchestra are required to return year-on-year savings over the next four years.
On the other hand Budget 2026 invests a total of $2.3 billion capital and $1.2 billion operating funding in New Zealand’s defence and intelligence capabilities.
Defence spending therefore is significantly greater than arts spending, but it costs more to buy a frigate and a jet plane than to buy a guitar or a violin (although a Strad doesn’t come cheap).
The question Dame Lynda raises is whether New Zealand would be better served by its military forces than by its artists.
Perhaps we should define the likely enemy.
China?
The Chinese have already established a strong economic foothold in New Zealand.
Chinese investment is primarily concentrated in the dairy and agriculture, infrastructure, and forestry sectors, with a growing focus on high-value health products, gaming, and the pet food industry.
Major companies like Yili (owners of Westland Milk) and Shanghai Bright Dairy (which holds a stake in Synlait) have invested hundreds of millions of dollars into New Zealand processing plants, infant formula facilities, and milk powder operations.
Hong Kong-based Cheung Kong Infrastructure (CKI) has acquired major utility and service providers, including Wellington Electricity and the waste management company EnviroWaste.
Significant Chinese capital has been injected into New Zealand forestry blocks, sawmills, and wood processing operations to secure supply chains for the Chinese market.
Recent economic reports highlight emerging investment focus areas, including a rising interest in New Zealand’s pet food sector, nutraceuticals, and the video game development industry.
If China is the enemy, its advance force is already here, so let’s forget about a Defence force (and the costs) as Jones urged.
If we are ill-governed or badly treated by the invaders, we can turn to the arts and to artists to express our displeasure.
Several television and entertainment stars have flexed their muscle in high-profile protests across the country in recent years.
Lucy Lawless protested against the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPPA) and joined the Greenpeace campaign against deep-sea oil drilling. She was arrested in 2012 for occupying a Shell oil drilling ship.
Robyn Malcolm has long used her platform to advocate for various causes, including environmental protests opposing deep-sea oil exploration.
Musicians and TV performers like Stan Walker and Troy Kingi have shown up to perform, support, or voice solidarity at major demonstrations—such as the Ihumātao land protests.
Actor Sam Neill has strongly campaigned against Santana Minerals’ proposed Bendigo-Ophir open-cast gold mine near his Central Otago vineyard.
The ultimate weapon – should the protests be ignored – would be a robust haka performed by a militant mob of Maori rolling their eyes, sticking out their tongues and perhaps exposing their bare bums.
With that in mind, PoO notes that Te Matatini – the national kapa haka organisation – must make year-on-year savings over the next four years.
Here’s hoping there’s no undue weakening of the prowess in haka-performing that might be needed to show the Chinese who’s who and what’s what…
Bob Edlin is a veteran journalist and editor for the Point of Order blog HERE. - where this article was sourced.
His policies – as he told an election campaign audience in the Wellington Town Hall – included getting rid of the country’s defence budget. He regarded it as a huge waste of public money.
When a member of the audience demanded to know what would happen when the Russians invaded, Jones retorted: “Why would the Russians want to take over this country? Then they have to pay the full price for their mutton?”
Whether Jones would have diverted Defence dollars into the arts is uncertain, but he was a financial supporter – among other causes – of the Royal New Zealand Ballet
The PoO team was reminded of his views after Dame Lynda Topp said what she thought of the government’s “lousy” arts funding.
RNZ reported:
Surviving Topp Twin, Dame Lynda, has delivered a blistering impassioned volley at the government for overlooking the arts in this year’s Budget, and been met with a standing ovation at the Aotearoa Music Awards.
Dame Lynda, who lost her twin sister Dame Jools earlier this week at the age of 68, fought back a wave of emotion as she stepped up to the microphone on Thursday night. She followed a tribute performance to the twins by Country Musician of the Year Tami Neilson with nominee Southland singer-songwriter Jenny Mitchell.
Dame Lynda showed she can match Donald Trump when it comes to expletives:
“We need support for artists in this country, we need a government that say the arts is more important than a defence budget. Way more!
“I see young artists struggling not because they’ve got a gig on Friday night – because they are trying to put through some sort of crazy mother****ing arts submission to get a few lousy dollars from the government.
“This is not fair! It’s not fair!”
Paul Goldsmith, Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage, happened to be in the audience.
Dame Lynda set her sights on him:
“I’ve got a message and Paul, if you listen up for a little minute, I’d like you to take a message back to Wellington.
“I did a speed read on the budget this afternoon, there doesn’t appear to be any money for music, but in big, big letters in the top of the news: $2.1 billion for defence. What the f***!”
By reading at speed she obviously missed a small one-off fund of $5.6 million will buy musical instruments for primary schools. The kits will be worth about $2000 each.
The Government will also provide a small amount of funding to keep Rock Quest, the music competition for high school students, going. It will receive $50,000 each year.
Other areas of the arts, however, must make cuts. The Royal NZ Ballet, New Zealand Film Commission, New Zealand Music Commission, and New Zealand Symphony Orchestra are required to return year-on-year savings over the next four years.
On the other hand Budget 2026 invests a total of $2.3 billion capital and $1.2 billion operating funding in New Zealand’s defence and intelligence capabilities.
Defence spending therefore is significantly greater than arts spending, but it costs more to buy a frigate and a jet plane than to buy a guitar or a violin (although a Strad doesn’t come cheap).
The question Dame Lynda raises is whether New Zealand would be better served by its military forces than by its artists.
Perhaps we should define the likely enemy.
China?
The Chinese have already established a strong economic foothold in New Zealand.
Chinese investment is primarily concentrated in the dairy and agriculture, infrastructure, and forestry sectors, with a growing focus on high-value health products, gaming, and the pet food industry.
Major companies like Yili (owners of Westland Milk) and Shanghai Bright Dairy (which holds a stake in Synlait) have invested hundreds of millions of dollars into New Zealand processing plants, infant formula facilities, and milk powder operations.
Hong Kong-based Cheung Kong Infrastructure (CKI) has acquired major utility and service providers, including Wellington Electricity and the waste management company EnviroWaste.
Significant Chinese capital has been injected into New Zealand forestry blocks, sawmills, and wood processing operations to secure supply chains for the Chinese market.
Recent economic reports highlight emerging investment focus areas, including a rising interest in New Zealand’s pet food sector, nutraceuticals, and the video game development industry.
If China is the enemy, its advance force is already here, so let’s forget about a Defence force (and the costs) as Jones urged.
If we are ill-governed or badly treated by the invaders, we can turn to the arts and to artists to express our displeasure.
Several television and entertainment stars have flexed their muscle in high-profile protests across the country in recent years.
Lucy Lawless protested against the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPPA) and joined the Greenpeace campaign against deep-sea oil drilling. She was arrested in 2012 for occupying a Shell oil drilling ship.
Robyn Malcolm has long used her platform to advocate for various causes, including environmental protests opposing deep-sea oil exploration.
Musicians and TV performers like Stan Walker and Troy Kingi have shown up to perform, support, or voice solidarity at major demonstrations—such as the Ihumātao land protests.
Actor Sam Neill has strongly campaigned against Santana Minerals’ proposed Bendigo-Ophir open-cast gold mine near his Central Otago vineyard.
The ultimate weapon – should the protests be ignored – would be a robust haka performed by a militant mob of Maori rolling their eyes, sticking out their tongues and perhaps exposing their bare bums.
With that in mind, PoO notes that Te Matatini – the national kapa haka organisation – must make year-on-year savings over the next four years.
Here’s hoping there’s no undue weakening of the prowess in haka-performing that might be needed to show the Chinese who’s who and what’s what…
Bob Edlin is a veteran journalist and editor for the Point of Order blog HERE. - where this article was sourced.
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