‘Helen’ budget

When Andrea Vance writes about the screening and discussion of My Year with Helen at our embassies around the world, she implies the sessions are inappropriate and also that the expenditure of $33,000 across 14 embassies as excessive (‘‘$33k price tag for Clark’s parties’’, News, October 7).

If only. Anyone running any sort of larger-scale cocktail event knows that $2400 is a lean, mean budget for hospitality and venue costs. And to have the main speaker (an international drawcard) for free!

The role of MFAT is to promote New Zealand abroad. What better image for our country than women leaders in politics and the arts?

I can speak about the Berlin event which won a high profile at the Social Democrats Foundation and the screening and discussion got a broader public involved. Good on you MFAT.

Philip Tremewan, Wellington