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Artists ‘right to feel disenfranchised’ after Budget cuts, says Labour

Friday, 5 June 2026

The Government has come under fire for cutting budgets for local arts organisations, but supporting international artists like Robbie Williams, pictured, who received money to tour New Zealand via the major events and tourism package.
The Government has come under fire for cutting budgets for local arts organisations, but supporting international artists like Robbie Williams, pictured, who received money to tour New Zealand via the major events and tourism package.

The Government is facing mounting criticism from across the arts sector after cutting more than $27 million from cultural agencies and introducing a cap on charitable donation tax credits, moves critics say risk weakening support for New Zealand artists and organisations.

But National says the Ministry for Culture and Heritage and the Crown entities that report to it were required to deliver a 2% saving “along with everyone else”.

Last week’s Budget was put on blast by Dame Lynda Topp, who’s grieving the death of her twin sister Dame Jools. The beloved performer told last week’s Aotearoa Music Awards crowd that artists need to be supported.

“We need a government that says the arts is more important than a defence budget. … This is not fair,” Lynda said. “There doesn’t appear to be any money for music, but … $2.1 billion for defence. What the f….”

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The Government cut more than $27m from the arts portfolio over four years in its Budget last week, with all cultural agencies having to contribute savings.

The biggest cuts are for NZ On Air, which lost $8.2m over four years, RNZ, which lost $5.6m over the same period, and Te Papa ‒ which just went through a significant restructure ‒ lost $3.4m. Te Matatini, the NZ Symphony Orchestra, Royal NZ Ballet, Creative NZ, Heritage NZ, the Film and Music Commissions, and Ngā Taonga Sound and Vision, have all had their budgets cut, too.

“It is disappointing,” said Labour’s arts spokesperson Rachel Boyack. “This is on top of previous cuts to programmes like Creatives in Schools, that helped provide arts education to children.”

Rachel Boyack, the Nelson MP of the Labour Party, says artists are right to feel disenfranchised after cuts ‘on top of previous cuts’.
Rachel Boyack, the Nelson MP of the Labour Party, says artists are right to feel disenfranchised after cuts ‘on top of previous cuts’.

Boyack said the Government was instead giving international artists “millions of dollars of funding to perform in New Zealand’s main centres, through a non-competitive process”, referring to Robbie Williams, Linkin Park, and Post Malone, who received money via the Government’s $70m major events and tourism package.

Local artists were “right to feel disenfranchised from a process that isn’t transparent and does nothing to foster creative talent in New Zealand”, Boyack said.

“NZ-based organisations and artists should be a priority for funding, especially those who deliver artistic opportunities and creative programmes in regional centres, so that all New Zealanders can have access to the arts.”

But Arts, Culture and Heritage Minister Paul Goldsmith said the Government was “still waiting to see any policy ideas from Labour”.

In last week’s Budget, the Government announced $185.3m in new funding for the domestic screen production rebate; $5.6m for music kits in state and state-integrated schools; $200,000 for Rockquest; and $48m for Māori media.

Jessica Palalagi, director of The Arts Foundation Te Tumu Toi, says changes to the tax credit scheme risk discouraging major giving.
Jessica Palalagi, director of The Arts Foundation Te Tumu Toi, says changes to the tax credit scheme risk discouraging major giving.

It also shifted $10m from the Māori Development Fund to the Te Māori Manaaki Taonga Trust, to go towards events and activities that showcase Māori arts, goods and services.

Concern has also been raised, about the Government’s decision to cap the value of donations eligible for a tax credit at $100,000.

Jessica Palalagi, director of The Arts Foundation Te Tumu Toi, an organisation that facilitates philanthropy to artists, described the move as “a major setback … not just for the arts, but for the charitable sector across Aotearoa”.

The tax credit was an important incentive for generosity, Palalagi said.

“Large gifts often make possible opportunities, programmes and long-term investments that simply wouldn’t happen otherwise. … We’ve heard from many of our major givers over the last week that these changes will affect their giving – and we can’t see how this can be good.”

If the Government had concerns about tax avoidance, those could be addressed through targeted measures “rather than a blanket cap that risks discouraging major giving”, Palalagi said.

In a press release last week explaining the change, ministers Louise Upston and Simon Watts said they wanted to make sure the tax credit scheme “remains financially sustainable”. “This will also limit tax planning risks that can arise when a donor makes a gift to a charity they control themselves.”

The Government also announced changes last week to the screen production rebate that make that scheme more accessible ‒ a move that was celebrated by the Film Commission.

But the screen producers’ guild was disappointed there was no announcement on a streamers’ levy, which Labour has committed to implementing if elected.

“Australia has acted. Additional international streaming platforms are entering the New Zealand market. Yet our funding settings remain largely unchanged. The gap is widening and the cost of delay is increasing,” said Irene Gardiner, president of the screen producers’ guild.