9. Hon MARK GOSCHE (Labour—Maungakiekie) Link to this
to the Associate Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage
What has the Government done to support New Zealand music?
Hon JUDITH TIZARD (Associate Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage) Link to this
At the end of the sixth New Zealand Music Month it gives me great pleasure to tell the House that more than $5 million per annum has been invested by this Government in New Zealand On Air, Creative New Zealand, Te Māngai Pāho, and the New Zealand Music Industry Commission. At least $19 million has gone into the support of New Zealand music through the funding of orchestras—especially the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra—opera companies, Sounz, the ballet, and grants to composers and performers. The Government has also supported New Zealand music through the universities and the arts curriculum.
Hon JUDITH TIZARD Link to this
The National Party members appear not to like New Zealand music, either. One example is the enormous success of the voluntary code of practice met by New Zealand radio broadcasters. It aimed to have 20 percent of New Zealand music being played across New Zealand radios. That percentage was up from 1.9 percent, when National was the Government, to 20.77 percent last year, and we will exceed even that this year. We are seeing top New Zealand musicians selling New Zealand music. It was 28 percent of sales in New Zealand Music Month 2005. We have also seen magnificent exports, with Breaks Co-op up in the top 40 in the UK.
Hon JUDITH TIZARD Link to this
I am very proud to be in charge of an area that demonstrates that New Zealand and New Zealanders are dynamic and willing to take risks to make better exports for all of us, so we have better lives. We have put more money into New Zealand on Air, with $850,000 per annum going into Phase Five, a programme that promotes New Zealand music to the international news media, and we have provided $444,000 extra to the Music Industry Commission for the Outward Sound programme, which National obviously does not know about. We have put $178,000 into promoting New Zealand music at music fairs and trade fairs around the world. We have also put money into the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra and Sounz, to tour New Zealand music internationally—to great acclaim. I am very sorry that the music coming from the other side of the House is such a sad dirge.