PM conducts off-key Symphony Bill

New state controls on the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra will unnecessarily curb its artistic freedom, says National's Arts and Culture spokesman Dr Paul Hutchison.

He says the Bill imposes upon the NZSO a necessity to 'develop a distinctively New Zealand cultural environment' - "whatever that means".

"National strongly supports the NZSO and is dedicated to seeing its artistic independence and excellence flourish.

"The Prime Minister has been full of praise for the NZSO's track record, yet she is now stifling its artistic freedom with prescriptive requirements and functions," says Dr Hutchison.

"It is ironic that while Labour is hell-bent on keeping a corporate governance model for the NZSO, even to the extent of excluding player representatives on the orchestra's board, it is making our health system increasingly dysfunctional by insisting on majority elected health boards.

"As the Prime Minister skips to the tune of her own finale, she is wasting $1 million on useless legislation when the money would be better going to the musicians," says Dr Hutchison.

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