te Heuheu Georgina: New Zealand Symphony Orchestra Bill — Second Reading Instruction to Committee In Committee Third Reading 
te Heuheu Georgina: New Zealand Symphony Orchestra Bill — Second Reading Instruction to Committee In Committee Third Reading 
[Volume:616;Page:12321] 
Hon GEORGINA TE HEUHEU (National) 
: 
 I am pleased to take a call on Part 2 of the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra Bill. I am not sure whether the Minister has taken a call but I would like the Minister to take a call and explain to us why it is that her Government—or the Minister really; I know she puts a lot of effort into arts and culture—has seen fit to be so prescriptive and I will refer to the prescriptive nature of the bill in a minute or two. I have had the good fortune to be able to spend some time in that sector as well but I have real difficulty with the situation that we are seen to be promoting cultural artistic integrity and artistic independence on the one hand but on the other hand loading the orchestra up with these very prescriptive objectives and functions. I see the Minister writing some notes and I do look forward to her taking a call to explain that tension. 
There certainly is a tension. I have already said I think this bill is an overkill. It is extremely important that there is a framework to ensure accountability for taxpayers’ money—$10 million. In some respects $10 million is not as much as the bulk of funds that go to other organisations but $10 million is still $10 million. I certainly can see the point in ensuring a proper framework for financial accountability but I personally cannot see the point of objectives that spell out things like the those set out in clause 8 “Principal objectives of Orchestra”. Clause 8 states: “(a) to provide the public of New Zealand with live and recorded performances of symphonic music performed to an international standard: (b) to provide an orchestra that—(i) is highly skilled and artistically imaginative; and (ii) has strong community support: (c) to be a leading New Zealand performing arts organisation” and so on and so forth. 
Has not the orchestra been doing all that anyway and without having it prescribed in legislation? I want the Minister to take a call and tell us what it is that has been missing in the activities and the performance of the orchestra in past years that makes it so important for this House in urgency to spend an inordinate amount of time on this bill that sets out piece by piece what it is that we expect this orchestra to do. 
Clause 9 sets out the functions of the orchestra and this is like telling the orchestra how to suck eggs in my view. The orchestra is the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra. It has shown its creativity its imaginative approach to its tasks in former years and in clause 9 its functions are set out. It must have a “broad repertoire of orchestral performance” and it must “encourage the development of New Zealanders’ knowledge and appreciation of orchestral music:”. It has been doing that. It must “encourage the development of New Zealand musicians:”. The orchestra has been doing that and it will continue to do that. It does not need any of those functions set out in legislation. 
Another function listed in clause 9(f) is “to carry out any other functions consistent with its principal objectives”—and here is a bit that deserves special mention—“as agreed to by the Minister”. Now what does that mean? So clause 9 (f) states: “to carry out any other functions consistent with its principal objectives as agreed to by the Minister after consultation with the Orchestra:”. As if clause 8 and clause 9 do not have enough prescription! There is room in clause 9(f) for the Minister to have some more say. 
 I am not sure about what but then I guess it is not surprising when there is a Government like the current one which thinks it is necessary to have a nose and an arm and a leg and everything in all that these institutions do. In particular it thinks it is appropriate to do that in an institution that we all want to fly with artistic integrity.