Clark Helen: Estimates Debate — In Committee 
Clark Helen: Estimates Debate — In Committee 
[Volume:618;Page:14314] 
Rt Hon HELEN CLARK (Minister for Arts Culture and Heritage) 
: 
 I want to respond to the member because there are a number of fundamental untruths in what he said. I also want to make some other points about the matter. Firstly to suggest that I as Prime Minister had any role in choosing this work— 
Stephen Franks 
: I raise a point of order Madam Chairperson. It is unparliamentary to suggest that there are fundamental untruths in what I said. Maybe she could allege that I was mistaken. However the word “untruths” implies that I have consciously said something false. 
The CHAIRPERSON (Ann Hartley) 
: I will ask the Prime Minister to reword that. 
Rt Hon HELEN CLARK 
: They are fundamental errors but then the member should be in a position to know why he is wrong. The member would be well aware that the Minister for Arts Culture and Heritage does not select the work that represents New Zealand at an exhibition off shore; absolutely not. To suggest as the member did that the Minister for Arts Culture and Heritage must be judged on the art created by New Zealanders is to suggest a sort of Nazi or Stalinistic view of the world that I personally could not buy into. 
The second error is that if the member had bothered to research his comments he would have been aware that the previous “piece of art” by that artist of the donkey etc. is not what is being submitted to the Venice Biennale. What happens is that a piece of art is created for the area that New Zealand is allocated at the Biennale. It is submitted as a concept at this stage and on the basis of a range of concept proposals the selection committee has chosen. The position is that Creative New Zealand is of course funded by the New Zealand taxpayer. It is accountable through the normal mechanisms including through a select committee process and members should take the opportunity during the estimates to call in Creative New Zealand and hold it accountable for its processes. 
The Creative New Zealand organisation then delegated the work of selecting an artist and curator team to a selection committee. In my view it is there that the process has gone awry. I will not make comments about the quality of the artist or the quality of the artist’s work. That is for others. I do think it is perfectly legitimate for the public to debate the nature of the art. But as Minister for Arts Culture and Heritage I will not go around demeaning individual artists. But what is a matter of considerable concern to me is that firstly this presence at the Biennale came about because there was an invitation from the Italian Government to the New Zealand Government for there to be New Zealand representation. The New Zealand Government takes the view that those who represent New Zealand at the Biennale should be capable of representing it. Indeed the criteria set out in the selection committee’s brief states: “The key personnel have a proven track record of undertaking the ambassadorial and publicity responsibilities required in a major international exhibition project 
Clearly that criteria has not been met. Key personnel must include the artist. The artist must therefore be able to be named and be able to give interviews and perform other ambassadorial functions. Obviously there has been interaction with me the Associate Minister for Arts Culture and Heritage and Creative New Zealand as we have expressed our concern about what appears to be a breach of the selection criteria. As a result I am now advised that the artist will engage extensively with international arts professionals at the event she will conduct selected interviews with international arts media and she will provide responses in writing to questions. That still leaves me with some concerns because the artist does not wish to disclose her identity. 
I think this is a salutary lesson for Creative New Zealand that if it delegates to a selection committee the least it can do is ensure that it follows its own criteria. I can assure the member that that will have a bearing on my thinking about resourcing levels for Creative New Zealand in the future. 
Vote agreed to.