It is good to see that a compromise has been reached between Downstage Theatre and Creative NZ over funding for the theatre to the end of June next year, with the option of Downstage applying for further funding for the remainder of 2009.
Downstage has been an important part of the fabric of theatre in the city, but there have been issues in recent times in terms of audiences and the ability to continue running the particular model that the company desire. It is a pity that it was not possible to continue to secure long term Creative NZ funding, but I am very confident something will emerge over the next six months that will secure the future of the Hannah Playhouse as a major theatre venue.
It is important that whatever does emerge complements the roles that Circa and Bats play in the city. In addition to providing a performance venue I think the Hannah Playhouse has the capacity to be a hub for theatre and theatre professionals from right across New Zealand to support long term development.
As Wellington Central MP I will definitely be working closely with the City Council, the Downstage Theatre and other venues and Creative NZ to ensure that Wellington keeps its well deserved reputation as our theatre capital.
Posted in Wellington. |
The editorial in today’s Sunday Herald echoes some of the talk about the so-called dangers of a minority Labour Party forming a government with, in this scenario the Progressives, Greens and the Maori Party. The Herald declares
If Labour were to win significantly fewer party votes than National and yet assemble a ramshackle coalition with the Greens, the Maori Party and the Progressives, Clark could end up with a constitutional hold on power to which it had no moral entitlement. A Government so formed would risk being seen as cynically corrupting the intentions of MMP, which could lead to a regrettable backlash against proportional representation. And a Government whose very existence runs counter to the plainly expressed will of the people is not likely to go down very well in the country that invented the concept of the fair go.
Its hard to know where to start. In some ways it is a tribute to Helen Clark and Labour that the Herald and other commentators do not seem to realise that Labour has led three successive governments where it has been a minority government reliant on others. The deals have stuck, government has been stable, and certainly not ramshackle. But the most ridiculous part of the Herald’s ‘doomsday’ is the notion that such a government would ‘cynically corrupt the intentions of MMP’. Sorry? Any government will need to command a majority in Parliament. A majority of MPs elected under MMP, a proportional system of Parliament. It will in fact be true to the intentions of MMP- to provide a Parliament that is more representative of the views of New Zealanders. MMP actually means the ‘plainly expressed will of the people’ is what shows up in Parliament, and then we see what Government can be formed. It is difficult not to be cynical about this kind of editorial. It reads to me like a concern that the will of the Herald (a National led government) might be subverted by the will of the people (a centre-left government, led by Labour, but with others well represented). Thankfully it is the will of the people that will be on show next weekend.
Posted in Uncategorized. |
My opponent has launched an attack on me and our campaign today. To be honest I really don’t want to dignify such a bizarre rant, but enough is enough. Throughout the campaign I have ignored the various false accusations and misrepresentations that Stephen has put on his blog about me, because I wanted to focus on the issues. For the record I have nothing to do with the posters that have appeared around town, nor did I have anything to do with Stephen’s comments on civil unions finding their way to You Tube or Agenda. In any event, what I think is sad is that Stephen can not see that his comments about civil unions might be offensive to a range of people, not just me or my campaign. I can’t really put it better than Russell Brown’s earlier post about all of this- it is about taking ownership for what he has said. It is also sad that Stephen throws accusations at my campaign of ‘slurs’ and ‘innuendos’ without providing anything to back them up. Anyway, if Stephen is serious as he says in his post that National believes that there are ‘boundaries that must not be crossed’, could he explain why someone central to his campaign would impersonate a Massey University tutor to try to find out information about me, and then lie about it when asked to identify himself? Righto, got that off my chest, and the All Blacks managed a win, so I can go to bed happy!
Posted in Wellington. |
Our foreign policy was released yesterday, and the major new commitment is to a greater role for New Zealand in conflict resolution. We have a well deserved reputation for our peacekeeping work, and have played a key role in a number of multilateral negotiations, but the policy aims to lift our capacity to work in peacebuilding and conflict resolution. We are seeking a partnership with government agencies, NGOs, such as the Peace Trust and the academic community to give New Zealand the ability to play a leading role particularly in the Pacific. I think this is exciting stuff, and we have plenty of international examples to work from. Other highlights of the policy are
- a continued commitment to international leadership on disarmament
- progressively moving to the 0.7% target for our Official Development Assistance
- priority for work in the Pacific
- a commitment to New Zealand playing a leading role in negotiations on a post 2012 climate change agreement
- on-going work on a fair, rules based multilateral trading system and quality regional and bilateral agreements.
Posted in New Zealand in the World. |
| November 2, 2008 |
| 7:30 pm | to | 11:30 pm |
(TBC) St Michaels Church Hall, Upland Rd, Kelburn, 7.30pm Continue reading ‘Upcoming Event: Kelburn Progressive Association Meeting’
Posted in Events. |
