Finlayson Christopher: Arts Council of New Zealand Toi Aotearoa Bill — In CommitteeText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeFinlayson Christopher: Arts Council of New Zealand Toi Aotearoa Bill — In Committee[Sitting date: 24 September 2013. Volume:693;Page:13673. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]Hon CHRISTOPHER FINLAYSON (Minister for Arts Culture and Heritage): I thought I would take a brief call because of that disappointing contribution from Ms Delahunty which inevitably led into a discussion about Downstage theatre. Everyone in this Chamber is sad that Downstage has unfortunately closed its doors but the reality of the matter and it goes back to when I was chair of the Arts Board is that it had had problems for many years. In fact it was placed on notice in about 1999. It should be put on record that the Arts Council worked very hard with Downstage for over a decade to try to help it through its problems but at the end of the day the problems affecting Downstage were such that there was a certain inevitability to its closing. I would think that before Ms Delahunty gets up here and blames the Arts Council for the demise of Downstage she should perhaps get her facts right because as so often happens with that member she got that completely wrong.I should also say this about clause 11—Dr Rajen Prasad: Nasty man.Hon CHRISTOPHER FINLAYSON: No I am simply—There is this rather tiresome and asinine refrain that one gets from the Labour Party whenever one engages in substantive debate that it is nasty. Can those members not come up with a better cliché than that please. But can I come to clause 11—Grant Robertson: How about “vile”? How does “vile” sit with the member?Hon CHRISTOPHER FINLAYSON: “Vile”? I think “vile” is good. Let us go with “vile” for a few weeks. But let us come to clause 11(3) of the Arts Council of New Zealand Toi Aotearoa Bill because that empowers the Arts Council to appoint other committees. So it is entirely possible that there could be an Asian committee appointed. There could be a Pacific committee appointed. That is a question for the Arts Council and I would not be in the least bit surprised if there was a Pacific committee appointed with the two members on the Arts Council also to serve on that.I am actually very satisfied that the structure we have in place with the kinds of people whom I have been appointing in my usual bipartisan manner—I refer to Winnie Laban the former member for Mana—Grant Robertson: Yes her committee has been disestablished. That is right.Hon CHRISTOPHER FINLAYSON: Well no she is serving on the Arts Council. She is an exceptional person. That is why I was so upset when Mr Goff made a misogynistic statement about her a couple of weeks ago in this place. She is an outstanding New Zealander. I have a very high opinion of her. It was a source of great joy when I stood against her in Mana and lost to her. She is doing an excellent job on the Arts Council. That is why I think there are good people who can serve—Grant Robertson: Three-time loser.Hon CHRISTOPHER FINLAYSON: Well at least I did not get third in the party vote in Wellington Central. That was the amazing thing. In 2011 he got third in the party vote in Wellington Central. I do not want to be accused of being vile so I will not go on about that but the reality of the matter is that if I stood in Wellington Central I would whip him. [Interruption] Please let us get back to the issues and the issues are not my thumping Mr Robertson in Wellington Central or reducing him to being third in the party vote in Wellington Central again but saying that there is a capacity under this legislation to appoint further committees. So there is plenty of scope for diversity while at the same time addressing the essential point of streamlining the legislation.