Over the past two weeks we’ve published five Arts Policy Briefings, which gave insight on the arts and arts-related policies that National, Labour, The Green Party, ACT, and Opportunity Party are standing behind as we hurtle toward election day this Saturday. I don't expect that everyone was able to read every single one, and I don’t expect that more than three of you had the time and gumption to have five tabs open at once to cross reference, so today I’ve distilled the most pertinent points from each, and compared the parties' stances on a few key issues for the arts sector. Though some of the briefings are attributed to specific spokespeople, for simplicity and the fact you won’t see their names on the ballot paper, I’m referring only to parties here.
The first learning from the series, for me, is that there’s much that isn’t black and white. Take the $100,000 donation tax credit cap, which is likely to reduce very high-value donations to arts and culture charities, and was announced as part of Budget 2026. Many philanthropists, and arts organisations who rely on large donations, want it repealed. Both Opportunity Party, and ACT, said in their briefings that repealing it would be a priority next year, were they to become part of the next government. Our two major parties are not making promises, with Labour saying it would “monitor any impacts” and National saying “we recognise the concerns raised”. Meanwhile, The Green Party would keep the cap, saying it “would rather see the arts properly supported by Government funding”.
The Green Party is the only party that said it would allocate more funding to the arts, paid for with its tax policy that would increase taxes on the mega-wealthy individuals and corporations. Labour said it would protect existing funding and “consider” increasing support. National said government debt needs to be brought “under control”, the economy needs to grow, and the government’s books need to be back in surplus. It seems that until then it would be austerity all round, since it is campaigning on “No New Taxes”. Act said no, and that the sector would benefit from more private philanthropy. Opportunity was realistic in saying that it would be a “junior coalition partner” but it did recognise decades-long underinvestment is a sector issue.
AI and copyright is a policy area that is still in development for most parties. This term, the National-led government put in motion a major package of updates to the Copyright Act 1994, driven by free trade agreement obligations with the EU and UK. These are set to benefit musicians and museums. National also began work on a possible copyright framework for generative AI, and Amplify includes advancing copyright reform so that artists, musicians and writers can protect their intellectual property and benefit from their work. This is all promising, but in its briefing there’s a door left ajar – National wants to “embrace the opportunities new technology presents”. We also know that the party has used, and misused, AI to create images and charts for its campaigns in 2023 and 2026.
Labour says it wants to protect artists’ copyright in the age of AI in its briefing, but it has not yet developed the framework. The Green Party is in a similar position, though with a little more detail. It would adopt and implement the Māori Data Governance Model and Māori AI Governance Framework from Te Kāhui Raraunga across the public sector to protect Māori data sovereignty. These centre on self-determination and treating data as a taonga, but the party hasn't provided an explanation for what this would mean for our sector. Opportunity possibly comes in the strongest, by publicly supporting the International Confederation of Societies of Authors and Composers’ Paris Commitment, a call for action to prevent AI exploitation of creatives. ACT simply wants to clarify existing laws.
There are no big new promises for supporting Toi Māori, though National provided a list of every Māori thing it has supported this term, including ongoing support for Te matatini, and this year’s Venice Biennale artist, Fiona Pardington, being Māori. The Green party has a few plans including: establishing legal ownership by tangata whenua of crafted taonga; and redesigning arts-related Government processes and systems to be appropriate for Māori artists. Opportunity believes in greater Māori agency and backing rangatiratanga in practice, but has no further detail.
Te Pāti Māori didn’t respond to my request to be part of the series. However the party has a three-page toi Māori policy. The policy makes clear that Te Pāti Māori would: establish Māori control of Toi Māori by establishing an independent authority, funded at parity with Creative NZ; establish a $10m Toi Māori research fund to build an evidence base showing Toi Māori’s contribution to wellbeing, education, health, social cohesion and the economy; ensure $19m baseline funding to Te Matatini as well as $10m to community, hapū, and iwi kapa haka and associated art forms; and establish an income programme to support 1,000 Ringa Toi at a time, providing 30 hours of paid work a week at the living wage for two years.
Given that so many artists and arts workers are freelancers and contractors, and that in 2023 creative professionals’ median income in New Zealand was $37,000 (including earnings from supplement, non-creative work) employment protections, pay, security and working conditions for these kinds of workers are important to our sector. The current National/ACT/NZ First coalition passed the controversial Employment Relations Amendment Act 2026 this February, and it is not in favour of workers. The act introduced a rigid 4-part or 5-criteria ‘gateway test’ to clarify independent contractor vs. employee classification which further limits workers from challenging their status. The Employment Leave Act (Holidays Act Reform) passed in July has been criticised by Unions that say it will reduce leave, or pay, for irregular and part-time workers. The government presented these changes as bringing more flexibility for workers and confidence for employers, and both National and ACT have stuck to this framing in their Arts Policy Briefings. Workers on the receiving end will know that these laws lock them out of basic employment rights.
The Labour Party has committed to removing the ‘gateway test’, and the Green Party says it wants to change the test and protect gig-economy workers. Both parties strongly opposed the Employment Relations Amendment Act 2026.
Opportunity said its Citizen’s Income, which hinges on its Land Tax policy, would be a “game-changer for people in the arts and creative industries, providing a safety net for those who have infrequent or unreliable incomes”. The problem is that it's rather pie in the sky, and as such, is not included in the party’s bottom lines, five non-negotiable policies that a coalition partner must agree to if Opportunity ends up as the kingmaker. Though Opportunity still touts the Citizen’s Income, some media have said it is “abandoned” and Qiulae Wong has said it is unrealistic for a party new to Parliament to demand tax reform in its first term.
Like Opportunity, The Green Party and ACT would be at the mercy of coalition negotiations. They however, are expected to win a greater share of the party vote, and have more experience in politics and coalition negotiations. Still, even within a left-block or right-block we can’t predict what agreements and policies may emerge, not only in the formation of a coalition, but also during the term. We also don’t have strong indications of who would take the Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage position within each bloc. Sitting minister Paul Goldsmith’s future is particularly precarious. He is ranked sixth on the party list, so an overhang, or even a close result, could see him out – unless he wins the Epsom seat, which he has lost five times in a row to ACT’s David Seymour. On the left side, Labour’s Rachel Boyack and the Green Party’s Kahu Carter both appear to be enthusiastic about the portfolio.
One thing we can be sure of is that no matter who forms the next government, the Amplify strategy will be continued. Although it hasn’t been wholeheartedly embraced by the sector, and Paul Goldsmith received a grilling on its performance, or lack there-of, in a recent debate, National is doubling down on it. In its policy briefing it emphasises the key targets – growing the sector's contribution to GDP to at least $22 billion, creating 5,000 additional creative jobs, and increasing engagement with arts and culture by 10 per cent – but there’s no offer of more support to help these things happen. The party says its immediate priority is continuing to deliver Amplify. ACT supports the parts of Amplify that do not require increases in taxpayer funding.
Labour says it would keep, but update, Amplify. The main change would be the addition of a dedicated section on wellbeing. This section would include a clear commitment to equitable access to the arts, including for people living in regional areas, Māori, Pacific and ethnic communities, and disabled people. The updated strategy would set clear wellbeing and equity outcomes (more outcomes!). The Green Party supports the intention of Amplify but believes more support is needed. Opportunity wants some changes too – a longer timeframe, and financial commitments to ensure the objectives can be achieved.
All in all, the promise of transformative change for the sector doesn't seem to be on the horizon this election. There are a few small wins we could make, but for a sector teetering on collapse, they won’t do much. But that's not to say I feel hopeless. No. It's that the timeframe is longer. Perhaps, in the next three years, we can pave the way to a point where we can see a different horizon.
This election is going to be close. That means the stakes of your vote are high. Get to your nearest voting place before voting closes at 7pm, Saturday 7 November (this Saturday!).
Arts Policy Briefings
Labour ● National ● ACT ● The Green Party ● Opportunity
