Party! Party! Party!
It’s election year.
We need to examine what each of the main parties’ views are on the Screen industry, Arts, Culture and Heritage, as well as what they are going to do for society and the economy. Here’s a first cursory look from a screen perspective.
To date, NATIONAL has shown its hand. Funding cuts for Screen and Arts. Maintenance of the New Zealand Screen Production Rebate NZSPR International. The NZSPR Domestic is currently under review. As is the possibility of a levy on streamers. No Arts policy on the website. It doesn’t seem to fit in “Fixing the Basics” and “Building the Future”. I’d have to admit to being pleasantly surprised by MCH Minister Paul Goldsmith. When he took over from Melissa Lee, I thought, “Here we go…not.” Goldsmith, it turns out, is willing to listen, learn, and it seems to do what he can for Arts and Screen while sitting in a party that’s not showing a whole lot of interest in us.
LABOUR is pretty much bereft of policy at this point. Intentionally, they kept telling us. And it’s supposedly working for them if you look at the polls. Reuben Davidson, Labour’s Media and Communications spokesperson, is in on the streamer levy if they get back into power, though. We’ll just have to wait to learn what else they have to offer. Labour has, as we know, always been a strong supporter of Screen and the Arts. And in Davidson and the Arts, Culture and Heritage spokesperson Rachel Boyack, we have two keen supporters.
ACT would do away with the NZSPR altogether if they had their way. Nothing in the way of policy on Arts on their website, which pretty much tells us all we need to know.
The GREENS are speaking our language with a full Arts, Culture and Heritage Policy on their website here. Nuff said.
TE PĀTI MĀORI tells us: “Hang tight! We’re working on our policies and will be back soon.” Don’t expect a huge amount of attention from this direction for screen in general, though. Past policy has been primarily focused on Māori Arts, Culture and Heritage, as you would expect from a Māori party.
Over at the OPPORTUNITY PARTY, former Labour Party Minister Iain Lees-Galloway is General Manager for the fifth leader there in 10 years, Quilae Wong. Their focus is the environment and business, mainly, it seems. Nothing to say on their website about the Arts at this point. A ‘wait and see’ here.
I forgot about Winnie… a late addition here. Go to the NEW ZEALAND FIRST website and the latest policy they’ve got there is for 2023. They obviously think they’re such a shoo-in they don’t have to worry. If we go back in time to their ’23 manifesto, Media gets a reasonable amount of attention but not the Arts. Jenny Marcroft, a former broadcaster, is Parliamentary Under-Secretary to the Minister for Media and Communications and NZ First spokesperson for Arts, Culture and Heritage. I don’t recollect Marcroft speaking on anything about the Arts, which possibly says a lot… about NZ First, or my memory.
In the next few months, there will be chances to hear more from all the parties on the policies that affect our industry. There is always at least one screen-focused evening with party reps in the lead-up to election day. If you can’t make it along, check party websites for policy releases and updates.
AND VOTE!
Make your voice heard.
Tui Ruwhiu
Executive Director
Last updated on 7 May 2026
