Perspective with Heather du Plessis-Allan: The Government was right to give billions to defence and forget arts

Geez, how sorry do you feel for Paul Goldsmith at the Music Awards, eh?

So, he's invited to the awards and he hasn't got his mate Chris Bishop with him this time. Bishop didn’t go after what happened with Don McGlashan last year.

Simon O'Connor: Call it what it is

A recent fracas involving a government Minister at a music event simply shows that an artist is allowed to provoke, but cannot be provoked.

So, a government Minister has found himself in woke hot water because he dared to give his honest opinion at the recent Aotearoa Music Awards. Chris Bishop, a former colleague of mine and who would happily describe himself on the liberal side of the National Party, was at the awards night and called a highly political musical performance “a load of crap.” Unfortunately for him, even as a liberal, he crossed an unwritten and unseen line which is that you never critique anything progressive or woke. Celebrate, yes. But never criticise.

Tui Vaeau: The Perils of Cultural Tokenism - A Critical Examination of Recent Māori-Centric Initiatives

Why New Zealand’s Obsession with Identity Politics Threatens True National Unity and Meritocracy

In recent times, New Zealand has witnessed a surge in initiatives aimed at promoting Māori culture and recognition. While the intent to honour and integrate Māori heritage is commendable, the execution of these initiatives often borders on tokenism, potentially undermining the very objectives they seek to achieve

Ani O'Brien: "Load of crap" - how radical Māori activism is beyond reproach

The way media and the chattering classes are carrying on you would think Minister Chris Bishop had suggested Stan Walker was “bound to get slapped up” and declared the way to resolve their political differences would be through a boxing match. Instead, the fervent supporter of New Zealand music voiced an opinion at the Aotearoa Music Awards that upset the sensibilities of the painfully self-righteous moneyed cultural elite.

Centrist: ‘A load of crap’: Bishop calls out political theatre at music awards

National minister Chris Bishop has apologised for his outburst at the NZ taxpayer-funded Aotearoa Music Awards.

However, Bishop stood by the substance of his comment labelling Stan Walker’s performance “a load of crap”, a reference, he said, not to the music itself but to the overt political symbolism on stage.

Matua Kahurangi: Toitū Te Tiriti

The trojan horse for Te Pāti Māori’s political agenda

I had no intention of wasting time on the Aotearoa Music Awards. These shows have become nothing more than a woke circus, constantly pushing woke bullsh*t instead of celebrating actual musical talent. When Minister Chris Bishop called Stan Walker’s performance “a load of crap,” the reaction on my X timeline was impossible to ignore. So I watched the video for myself.

And you know what? Bishop was right. It was a load of crap.