Kaye Nikki: Arts Council of New Zealand Toi Aotearoa Bill — First Reading 
Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume 
Kaye Nikki: Arts Council of New Zealand Toi Aotearoa Bill — First Reading 
[Sitting date: 18 August 2010. Volume:665;Page:13272. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.] 
NIKKI KAYE (National—Auckland Central) 
: 
 I am pleased to support the Arts Council of New Zealand Toi Aotearoa Bill. I will start by acknowledging Minister Finlayson and I also acknowledge the previous speaker Steve Chadwick. I see her at a number of arts functions held within my electorate of Auckland Central which I would call the heart of the arts community. 
I want to make a couple of other comments. I disagree with a lot of what Steve has said tonight. The first reason I do so is that this evening I rang someone who is very prominent within the arts community. I will not name the person but I will repeat a comment that was made to me. I asked them what this legislation was about and I was told that it was about making the Arts Council responsive to the arts community. That really resonated with me and I believe at the heart of that is something called freedom. The concern I have about the comments of the previous speaker is that a lot of what we are doing is ensuring that as much money as possible goes to these creative professionals—I think we estimated that about $200000 will be freed up for these creative professionals—but also it is about ensuring that the arts community drives the policy not necessarily a whole lot of people who think they know best. I think there is a philosophical difference between what Labour members in the House believe in terms of this legislation and what the Minister for Arts Culture and Heritage is trying to do. 
There is another exciting aspect which is aligned with what we are trying to do in this legislation. There are changes happening in Auckland. Since we completed the legislative process on the Auckland Council I have had some pretty amazing feedback about the opportunity particularly within the spatial plan to start to come together with a cohesive strategy for arts and culture both the infrastructure and the policy development within Auckland. So we are seeing legislation that is finally putting more focus on the strategic direction of the Arts Council which is absolutely aligned with what we are doing with other legislation such as the Auckland Council legislation and the spatial plan and having a cohesive plan in terms of arts infrastructure and arts policy development in Auckland. 
The second point which the previous speaker made and I disagree with is that this is not about marginalising certain voices. There will be representatives in terms of Maori and Pacific Islanders on the Arts Council. I am a member of this House who does not believe that numbers necessarily equate to better representation. I believe that this legislation will give possibly $200000 back to the arts community and we will still have that representation. I believe that is a good thing for the arts. 
The other point that the previous speaker raised was on community voices and I note there are clauses in this bill particularly around the provision of funds to the community. So I think the legislation has dealt with that issue. Another important point is independence. I acknowledge that a very important principle is retained in this legislation and it is on the independence of the provision of policy from the Minister. That is very important and again it comes back to that philosophy from this side of the House about ensuring that the arts community gets as many funds as possible to those creative professionals that the independence is preserved that it is being driven by the arts community and also that we are being as efficient as possible from both a structural perspective and an economic perspective. 
Another point I will make is on accountability and transparency which is at the heart of this legislation as well. I know that within this bill there is a requirement for the Arts Council setting guidelines for the collection of funding. That is also a very important aspect and it is aligned with other legislation that this National Government has brought in. 
The final point is on the arts community and the contribution that it makes. The previous speaker touched on the economic contribution of the arts in this country. I know that the Ministry for Culture and Heritage is doing a number of works in this area because a number of the contributions that are made are often intangible. But it is my belief that we have never had proper recognition of that economic contribution. I see examples of that all the time in my electorate. I do not think it matters whether it is New Zealand Fashion Week or films. I do not believe that this House has adequately understood the contribution of the arts to the economy. I believe that strongly and I know there is work happening in that area. I know how important that is to so many community groups because often that is a key criterion for any access to funding. So that is something that I really care about. 
I make a wider point which is very relevant to this legislation. Someone said it to me and it came up during the Auckland governance reforms as well. In this country we have built a web of bureaucracy in many areas in my view. I believe that there are members on both sides of the House who would agree with that. When I was first elected someone said to me: “Nikki the job that you have to do in this House—it’s about death to process.” We are as a nation extraordinary innovators; we often think outside the square. But unfortunately there are areas of our Government that have been absolutely built up in terms of bureaucracy. That person said to me that it was about death to process. 
So I am very pleased to support this bill. In my view we are pushing those funds back to the creative professionals who deserve them and we are breaking down some of those bureaucratic structures. I am very pleased to support this legislation. Thank you.