Auchinvole Chris: Arts Council of New Zealand Toi Aotearoa Bill — Third ReadingText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeAuchinvole Chris: Arts Council of New Zealand Toi Aotearoa Bill — Third Reading[Sitting date: 29 January 2014. Volume:696;Page:15676. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]CHRIS AUCHINVOLE (National): What a crescendo the last speaker Grant Robertson ended with—what a crescendo he ended with. He did not however say or conclude his little story of throwing money at the arts with the bit about reminding them there was GST included which caused considerable stress to the recipients of the funds.It is a privilege to be speaking at the third reading of the Arts Council of New Zealand Toi Aotearoa Bill. Here we are in Wellington the arts capital of New Zealand a good location to be discussing the future of one of New Zealand’s—as National perceives it—most important arts sponsorship organisations the Arts Council of New Zealand. We will talk shortly about the purpose of this bill but did I hear a tinge just a sense a touch a pinch of envy from the members on the other side when they speak about this bill?Maggie Barry: Jealousy.CHRIS AUCHINVOLE: Jealousy? Perhaps jealousy or perhaps they wish this was their bill that they could introduce because it is what should have been done. They will deny that but we know as Labour members do in their heart of hearts that they wish this was their bill hence the impassioned plea because they did get a tinge just a touch through the activities of their previous Prime Minister of working with the arts. Then though they neglected the structure. The purpose of this bill is to streamline the fundamental organisation saving $200000 per annum and making a leaner single council of 13 members including four representatives with specialist knowledge of tikangaMāori and two representatives with specialist knowledge of Pacific arts.When Minister Finlayson began speaking about this he described the previous structure as a series of tiers and that put me in mind of the wonderful quote of Dylan Thomas when he said: “Cardiff is built like an onion tier upon tier. And you can spell‘tier’ however you like.” I guess it was the same with the previous council structure here.With the representation of New Zealand as the guest of honour at the Frankfurt Book Fair New Zealand experienced a coming of age internationally recognised for its myriad of authors actors musicians as well as the living oral tradition ofMāoritanga. To maintain such a presence over such a long period as the guest of honour was a tremendous tribute to the organisation that Mr Finlayson oversees. So the timing of the adjustment to the Arts Council can be seen as a coming of age and a chance to recognise that the strength and functionality of the arts sector in New Zealand is another vital way of recognising New Zealand’s increasing status as an emerging leader in the international arts world. I am sure every member of this House can reflect with pride on some of the achievements that have been given status lately.Technical adjustments to the funding body of what is currently known as Creative New Zealand include making a single council composed of 13 members under a single Minister so that communications are clear and just as important timely allowing decisions about upcoming projects to be made in plenty of time. This bill not only includes but actually enshrinesMāori and Pacific representation allowing the all-important self-representation of these living arts traditions. The bill removes the necessity of providing a strategic plan every 3 years which absorbs so much of experts’ time so that the fine minds hired by this organisation can be used to discuss the arts artists and their current and future projects as opposed to the joys of being mired in renewing the debate on updating committee principles or the didactics of rewording the company philosophy.There is also a focus on arts projects for youth such as the Original Scripts Youth Company which funded 16 to 19-year-olds in Christchurch to write a play as a reaction a response to the earthquakes allowing young talent to get the kind of coverage that would be hard to replicate without the support of a group such as the Arts Council. Whether discussing the Indian Ink Theatre Company which wrote the popularKrishnan’s Dairy; the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra; or the new plans for Te Papa in Auckland it is impossible to avoid mentioning a project sponsored by the Arts Council.By passing this bill increasing the efficiency and ensuring the longevity of this important arts organisation we will strengthen this leader in New Zealand’s international arts representation. I commend this bill to the House.