No extra this year for Arts Council

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32700, 1 September 1971, Page 18

No extra this year for Arts Council

• New Zealand Press Association)

WELLINGTON, August 31.

The Government did not intend to make provision in the 1971-72 supplementary estimates for any additional grants this year to the Queen Elizabeth II Arts Council, the Minister of finance (Mr Muldoon) said in Parliament today.

Replying to a question by Mr J. L. Hunt (Lab., New Lynn) he said the Government had, how. ever, undertaken to reconsider the financial assistance for the triennium beginning with the 1972-73 financial year. It was understood that the council was at present preparing its case.

Cultural activities were not getting the assistance they should receive Mr J. A. Walding (Lab., Palmerston North) said in Parliament tonight during discussion of the Internal Affairs Department Estimates.

Writers and artists in New Zealand were worse off than in most countries, and the situation was worsening, he said.

Mr T. M. McGuigan (Lab., Lyttelton) deplored a reduction in the vote to the Queen Elizabeth Arts Council from $217,000 to $210,000. The Minister of Internal Affairs (Mr Seath) replied that the amount provided for the council was the same as last year—except that there was a special amount of $7OOO last year for Arts Conference 70. The grants were fixed on a three-year basis ■and the triennieum ended this 'financial year. * Mr N. J. King (Lab., Birkenhead) said it was a pity the nation relied on gambling to enable adequate assistance for the arts and culture.

I Mr D. A. Highet (Nat., Remuera) said that lottery ’ profits had been falling, with ! the result that there was less ■ money for the arts council. . He made a strong plea to the I Prime Minister (Sir Keith Holyoake) and Mr Seath to ’ increase the trennial grant of I $630,000 to about $700,000. I If this could not be made [ up from lottery profits the ■ rest should come from the ' Consolidated Fund, Mr ’ Highet said.

Mr E. E. Isbey (Lab., Grey Lynn) said the Minister should not wait until next

March 31 to increase aid to the arts.

He said spending on the arts in New Zealand totalled only 17c a head, the price of a loaf of bread. But Mr Seath said he doubted whether this figure was correct. A study had shown that in 1968-69 spending on the arts from all sectors of the community—local and central Government and other sources—had reached $16.25m, he said, more a head than Mr Isbey’s figure. This had been the only extensive study of spending on the arts.