Jones Dail: New Zealand Symphony Orchestra Bill — Third Reading 
Jones Dail: New Zealand Symphony Orchestra Bill — Third Reading 
[Volume:616;Page:12332] 
DAIL JONES (NZ First) 
: 
 This legislation transforms control of the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra from that of a limited-liability company to an autonomous non-company Crown entity. It allows the Crown which spends about $10 million on the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra to have some reporting requirements as set out in the Public Finance Act of 1989. It has been quite interesting in the last few weeks and months in this House to hear members of especially the ACT party criticise the way in which public money is spent. Time and time again there is criticism of how this money is spent where it is going and what is being done with it. Here we have a bill that allows the House to have more say over how public money is being spent yet the ACT party opposes it as does the National Party. There is a real inconsistency about the way in which they go about their business. Or is it because this is a New Zealand Symphony Orchestra and they want to criticise it? They do not want to get too involved with it and other people are more easily attacked by the National Party and by the ACT party. 
Regardless of that this bill will now allow greater criticism of Government expenditure by this body. In so far as control is concerned anyone who cares to read clauses 8 and 9(a) to (e) can see quite clearly that the Government can have no control over the provisions in those clauses. The only way in which the Government can have any involvement is with regard to carrying out any other functions. If the Government is going to do something other than as set out in clauses 8 and 9(a) to (e) only then can it become involved. Clearly if the Government does become involved everyone will be informed because that is the type of country New Zealand is. 
We wanted more involvement of the players in the decision making and in the ability to make comments on what was going to happen. One would have thought the ACT party would support that and of course it did. One would have thought the National Party might support that. But naturally enough when it comes to something that might get through this House from the point of view of other parties National opposed it. It cuddled up with the Labour Party in the Committee stage and prevented players from having a representative on the board. 
One would have thought that if the National Party were concerned about the way in which the board might act the way in which it might be interfered with by the Government and the way in which the board might be required to follow up Government policy the National Party would want a player on the board. But no no players on the board for the National Party! It opposed that entirely. 
It was disappointing to see the Progressive party the United Future party—the United Future party put up the amendment in the first place—the Greens ACT and New Zealand First all prepared to support an amendment to put a player on the board of the new organisation and the National Party opposed it. The National Party had its own amendment at one stage along those lines. One thought that perhaps the National Party wanted only to support its own amendment and be churlish and not support someone else’s amendment. In the end finally National withdrew its own amendment as someone realised that perhaps National had made a mistake and was possibly doing something that might improve the bill. It is very disappointing to see the National Party working in with the Labour Party in this way and obviously all concerned will take notice of the situation. 
New Zealand First moved a number of amendments. We wanted to make it clear that the orchestra was going to be a full-time orchestra. That was not successful. We put together a number of other amendments which had been supported by the players committee of the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra but unfortunately they were unsuccessful. 
This is the third reading of the bill. Overall the bill has passed through the House. New Zealand First goes along with the legislation. It brings everything up to date. There are provisions in the bill that ensure the Minister cannot have absolute control and we look forward to the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra continuing as it has done so well in the past. 
I use the word “continuing” of course because we know from the policy of the National Party that it would be the first to sell up or close down the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra if it became the Government. As we know the National Party is working on the principle of need. Is there a need for the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra? I say that Dr Don Brash would say immediately: “No there is no need for the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra.” Brian Connell seems to agree that there is no need for the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra. If he does not agree with me he is being very inconsistent because it seems that “need” is a word that is used as defined in the minds of certain National Party people not in the way it appears in the dictionary. That is even more dangerous than simply just acting on the basis of need. 
As someone who enjoys listening to Radio New Zealand and Concert FM I say that I am also concerned that the National Party will sell off Radio New Zealand because there is no need for a State-owned radio station that runs things like Concert FM. Mr Connell is quiet now so that suggests to me that the sale of Radio New Zealand is very much on the agenda for Dr Don Brash and his party. I would like to hear the next National Party person who takes a call deny because he or she has spoken to Dr Brash about it that National will sell Radio New Zealand if it becomes the Government. Overall we are very pleased to support this legislation.