Hon Christopher Finlayson
Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage

28 July 2009
Media Statement

New appointments to Te Papa board announced

Minister for Arts Culture and Heritage Christopher Finlayson announced today the reappointment of the chair and the appointment of four new members to the board of the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa.

Chair John Judge has been reappointed for a further one year period. Mr Judge is the former managing partner of Ernst & Young, and was appointed chair of the Accident Compensation Corporation earlier this year. He has been a member of the Te Papa board since 2000, and chair since 2006.

The new appointments are businessman Wira Gardiner, manager Miria Pomare, former Minister of the Crown and historian Michael Bassett, and businessman Christopher Parkin.

“I am very pleased to announce the new appointments to the board of Te Papa,” Mr Finlayson said. “The new members bring with them a wide variety of experience and skills that will be invaluable for our heritage sector.”

Businessman Wira Gardiner was the founding director of the Waitangi Tribunal, and has held many public and private sector directorships and trust roles. He has been strategic director for Te Matatini, and worked as Crown facilitator on a number of Treaty of Waitangi settlement negotiations.

Miria Pomare holds a number of iwi governance posts and is a guest lecturer at Whitireia Community Polytechnic on Treaty of Waitangi issues. She works as a manager for Te Runanga o Toa Rangatira.

Michael Bassett was Arts Minister in the fourth Labour government. He is a noted historian, columnist, and a former member of the Waitangi Tribunal. He has written a number of books on various subjects, including political biographies.

Christopher Parkin has held a range of roles in the business, property, and investment sectors. He is a longstanding supporter of the arts in Wellington, and is the owner of the Museum Hotel.

The new board members have been appointed for three year terms, beginning 1 July, except Mr Parkin who will begin his term on 1 September.

ENDS

© Scoop Media

Gordon Campbell: On The 2013 Budget

Among Thursday’s main talking points:

We are apparently on track for a margin-of-error $75 million surplus, now in sight for 2014/15. But this sickly creature is hobbling out of the lab on the basis of all kinds of facilitative conjuring: such as trimming by $200 million the amount of new spending next time around.

With this strictly nominal surplus in sight, the 1984-ish justification for eternal austerity will have a news talisman: namely, getting Crown debt down to 20% of GDP by 2020. More>>

Budget Report, Lockup Audio & Images: Budget Day 2013 As always and especially after the managerial mishaps of the past few weeks and months, (e.g. Aaron Gilmore, the Mighty River Power share float, the GCSB mishaps) Budget Day 2013 was always going to be a pageant of reassurance... More>>

Budget 2013 Comment: Plain Sailing, But It's No America's Cup Pattrick Smellie: Compared to the last four budgets, this year's reflects an economy moving out of recession and into calmer waters... Yet if the fastest annual growth rate we can expect over the next two years is 3 percent - with the Christchurch rebuild in full swing - then you'd have to say New Zealand's underlying low-growth problem is far from fixed. More>>

Auckland Discord: Govt’s Power Hungry Housing Approach A Threat - Labour

Last week the Government said this, ‘The Government commits not to use any proposed or existing powers ... to override the council's planning and consenting processes’. But its housing Bill says this; ‘If an accord cannot be reached in an area of severe housing unaffordability, the Government can intervene by establishing special housing areas and issuing consents for developers’. More>>

ALSO:

• NZ Govt - Housing accords legislation passes first reading - Legislation For Housing Accords, Land Supply - Housing package improves affordability, access
• Greens - Budget numbers show National’s failure on home affordability
• Auckland Chamber of Commerce - Budget 2013: Housing intervention needed
• Out-Link - Gareth Morgan: Response to housing problem limp-wristed
• Earlier, Pre-Budget - Auckland Accord announced

Extending Protest Ban, Relaxing Permit Rules: Govt Abuses Urgency To Extend Anadarko Amendment

The Government is trying to pass legislation under urgency which would make the Anadarko Amendment – which limits protest at sea – apply to an additional 1.7 million square kilometres, the Green Party said today. More>>

ALSO:

• Parliament Today - Parliament Resumes To Pass Budget Bills
• Labour - Government to extend protest ban
• Greenpeace NZ - Oil Companies Lacking ‘Expertise’ and ‘Financial Ability’ Set to Be Handed Drilling Permits
• 2010 image via: Pacific.Scoop - Media watcher gives NZ press nil score card for China oil spill coverage