Open and shut
Chasing the kids
NZ On Air has been worrying about Kiwi kids not absorbing enough local content, as they switch off TV and turn to YouTube, Facebook etc. So with the help of TVNZ, it set up a new platform called HEIHEI at a cost of $1.5 million. Since then it has spent $6.3m on content in the first funding round. At year-end it had 30,000 app downloads, 200,000 video streams and 60,000+ unique users, so it wasn’t a total waste, and the content is also seen on TV. But there is a still a feeling that most of those pesky kids are watching other stuff.
Tax time
New payday filing rules will give employers and Inland Revenue a few headaches when they become mandatory next year. There is a general lack of awareness about what the changes mean for many employers, especially smaller companies, and others are putting off worrying about it until next year. To its credit, IRD got the ball rolling and became the country’s first big employer to adopt payday filing, and it reckons it went fairly smoothly. The IRD reports only a “few minor, but resolvable issues, for a few staff with unique circumstances”. Multiply that by every company in the country and you have lots of small problems, which can add up to one big problem.
Shuffle ahead?
With two Cabinet vacancies, it is only a matter of time before Jacinda Ardern promotes some talent and reshuffles ministers who are not making much impact. The question is whether she does it before Christmas or after the summer break.
Blame game
The decision to block Spark from using Huawei equipment for the 5G rollout is not going down well in China. It reckons US companies have a far worse record of bowing to US Government demands to spy, on its own people and internationally. But at least the move gives football fans something else to blame for the Wellington Phoenix’s woeful form — their Huawei sponsors.
Last words
One of Parliament’s worst-kept secrets has been confirmed, with former Attorney-General Chris Finlayson leaving and set to give his valedictory speech on December 18. He may surprise everyone and curb his barbed tongue — but probably not. Winston Peters has always been one of Finlayson’s favourite targets; will he show up?
What’s the holdup?
There’s been both bemusement and anger at the Government not releasing its own inquiry into mental health and addiction. It’s fair enough that the Government might want to take some time to consider its response to the report, after saying it was needed because of a crisis. But not releasing it after months of work seems strange, especially when it was originally due out by October. Health Minister David Clark says people will get to read it some time before the end of the year, but if there really is a crisis, wouldn’t it be better to be talking about it now instead of waiting for Christmas? Meanwhile, another review committee has been put together to help the Government prepare a response to the inquiry. Some ministers and MPs are huffing and puffing about NZ Post’s move to close the 79 shopfronts it has left. Finance Minister Grant Robertson has offered the possible solution of funding regional hubs to provide banking and mail services. If only the Government owned a company that had retail outlets around the country to fill such a role. Oh that’s right, they do — NZ Post.
Star power
Charles H. Rivkin, the boss of the Motion Picture Association of America, was in Wellington this week and got a warm welcome from Jacinda Ardern and David Parker. That would have been worrying for Kim Dotcom, who famously blamed his extradition woes on Hollywood’s lobbying of the previous Government.
For women only
National MP Jo Hayes doesn’t have a high public profile, but she certainly got the attention of a few of her male colleagues with her musings on a panel at the NZ Political Studies Association conference: “One day it would be great to see a women-only political party . . . wouldn’t that be ground-breaking”.