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Labour’s Gaming Subsidies Level Up Wasteful Spending
The Taxpayers’ Union is slamming Labour’s plan to expand taxpayer subsidies for the video-game industry, warning the current Game Development Sector Rebate is already unnecessary corporate welfare.
Taxpayers’ Union spokesman Rhys Hurley, said:
“This is déjà vu. We’ve already seen millions funnelled into the gaming sector through the Centre of Digital Excellence (CODE) and rebate scheme, with next to no public transparency and questionable results. Why double down on a failed policy?”
“If Labour are actually serious about jobs and growth, writing bigger and bigger cheques to high-performing overseas developers already turning over millions won’t cut it."
"New Zealand has some of the highest corporate tax rates in the world; that’s why firms can’t succeed here.”
“Labour want to keep taking money from small businesses who could stand on their own two feet and use it to prop up pet firms who can’t. This is corporate welfare in high-definition.”
Party, Party, Politics and the Taxpayers' Purse
Political parties often engage musicians to drum up support during the election season. It’s the time of year when party hacks attempt to swell their numbers by using musicians as Trojan Horses for their political ideals. We all remember The Feelers’ song used in National Party adverts last election.
But what happens when taxpayer funds are propping up these artists?
The Party, Party put on by the Internet Party features numerous bands that have recently received significant grants of taxpayers’ money courtesy of NZ On Air.
Sons of Zion, State of Mind and PNC all received subsidies from NZ On Air as recently as late last year. The sums involved are not insignificant. A quick glance at the list of subsidies suggests that in the past few years these acts have received well over $200,000 of taxpayer funds.
Laughton Kora of L.A.B was also part of a group that received $245,000 NZ On Air funding to visit prisons for a Maori TV programme.
While we can all appreciate that bands are comprised of individuals with their own political beliefs, it seems wrong for bands to be enabled to support a political cause by being propped up by the taxpayer.