Maisey Rika-Won the Best Maori Female Solo Artist at the awards in 2009

From the contemporary beat of urban hip-hop and rap to the traditional sound of kapa haka and show bands, Maori Television is proud to bring you the highly anticipated WAIATA MAORI AWARDS (MAORI MUSIC AWARDS) 2010.

The third annual awards show will be filmed live at the Hawke’s Bay Opera House in Hastings on September 10, to screen on Maori Television on Saturday, September 18 at 9.30 PM.

Co-hosted by Maori Television’s popular presenter Te Hamua Nikora and opera singer William Winitana, the WAIATA MAORI AWARDS recognise and celebrate the contribution of musicians and songwriters to both modern and traditional Maori music.

This year’s theme is `Te Koanga’, which reflects the new spring season, new life and new beginnings.

Executive director Tama Huata says this year’s awards will feature two new additions – the recognition of show bands and a new reggae category.

“The show bands are called the forgotten generation of Maori musicians and performers, so they are being featured this year and reggae is being featured for the first time as its own genre.”

The new reggae category is Best Maori Urban Roots Album – primarily for artists in the urban genre of reggae.

Other categories up for grabs include Best Maori Traditional Album and Best Maori Pop Album

Peter T- Nominee for Best Maori Urban RAP/Hip Hop/Rnb Album 2010

Mr Huata says it is important to have the awards because it provides a forum that Maori music has never had before.

“We’ve never honoured our composers and musicians and singers. They’ve normally had, like in the New Zealand Music Awards, only one category and every Maori had to go into that one category.”

The WAIATA MAORI AWARDS – which will be broadcast in a mixture of English and te reo – also stand out because they encompass both modern and traditional music.

“The commonality is music, whether it’s rap, hip-hop, or kapa haka,” says Huata.

“We have managed to bring everybody to the table at the same time. You’ve got the rappers and hip-hoppers sharing the same stage as our kapa haka type performers. It’s all Maori music celebrated as one event.”

Performance highlights include the Sons of Zion and Showband Aotearoa.

Last year, Nesian Mystik scooped up a range of awards including Best Maori Urban Artists; Best Maori Pop Artists; Best Maori Song; and Best Maori Songwriter.

Another new addition this year will be the appointment of a Waiata Maori Ambassador who will promote the event here and overseas. This year’s ambassador is well-known singer/songwriter, and previous WAIATA MAORI AWARDS recipient, Taisha.

Find out the winners and watch some amazing performances in the WAIATA MAORI AWARDS, screening on Maori Television on Saturday, September 18 at 9.30 PM.

Fur further information about nominees please folow this link: Nominees

Young Sid- Winner of Best Māori Urban Artist 2008-Nominee for Best Maori Male Solo Artist 2010

Sir Howard Morrison- doing what he loved to do

His name was synonymous with entertainment in New Zealand and still is today. To celebrate the late Sir Howard Morrison’s recent birthday and remind us how his talent touched our hearts. NZ On Screen has published a collection celebrating ‘Ol’ Brown Eyes’ on screen.

The selection features classic performances (with the Howard Morrison Quartet and solo), riffing with Billy T James, hosting Top Town, Howie’s star turn in 60s musical feature film Don’t Let it Get You, and a This is Your Life tribute … Ray Columbus: “He was a master entertainer”.

The show business legend’s take on songs like ‘How Great Thou Art’ ensured his waiata an enduring place at the top of NZ playlists; his hit ‘Whakaaria Mai’ rendition of that song in Hamilton, 1982, is included in the collection.

In a piece written especially to accompany the selection, singer Ray Columbus offers a heartfelt reflection on his long relationship with the Kiwi show business legend, a friend he revered as ‘The Man’. “His voice, humour, ability to ad-lib, his X-factor brand (which I think was iwi based) … made him unique anywhere.”

To view this collection please follow this link:

Sir Howard Morrison collection

Sir Howard Morrison

To purchase a Sir Howard Morrison Official dvd please folow this link:

Sir Howard morrison dvd

The collection celebrates the incredibly diverse output of the government body, that, for nearly 50 years filmed everything from wartime newsreels and tourism promos to historical TV epics.

It bred NZ’s first Oscar nominations, pioneering female directors, political controversy, and was a key industry training ground. Screen alumni include Sam Neill, John Laing, Sam Pillsbury, Selwyn Toogood, and many more; and arts icons such as Brian Brake, Douglas Lilburn, James K Baxter, Maurice Shadbolt, and Denis Glover were all involved in NFU films …

The 30 films in the collection provide a sampler pack of NFU classics: from Rhythm and Movement to Ralph Hotere; from Snows of Aorangi to Score; from Gone Up North for a While to Games 74; from The Governor to This is New Zealand, and many more …

In a written background essay, screen historian Roger Horrocks offers a highlights history of the outfit mooted to capture “the Vitamin D of nationality”. And NFU alumni Paul Maunder, Lynton Diggle and Sam Pillsbury provide personal reflections on their time at the unit.

Pillsbury: “People slag off at Government Departments. But like many bureaucracies, the NFU was also a hidden gem … It was a sort of hideout for slackers and innovators …”

There is also a filmed ScreenTalk interview with Sam Neill: before finding fame as an actor Neill was a 20-something director at the NFU, making documentaries on Ian Athfield, Red Mole theatre troupe, windsurfing across Cook Strait, and 70s freestyle skiing:

“It was never stated but you made one for them … the Post Office, Railways or banana company … and you made one for yourself, and I wanted to make a skiing film [Flare] …”

The selection is an unique online showcase of an important part of Aotearoa screen history. Stalwart NFU cameraman Lynton Diggle:

“The National Film Unit played an important role in forging an indigenous film industry, and I congratulate NZ On Screen for their foresight in breathing life back into those early productions.”

There are over 50 NFU titles on NZ On Screen — from Hillary Returns to Legend of the Wanganui River to A Dolphin’s Story — with more regularly added. Their presence on NZ On Screen is made possible with the support of Archives New Zealand, the stewards of the NFU archive

To watch and enjoy this wonderful collection of nz screen culture folow this link :

National Film Unit Collection

A moko artist, a composer and a celebrity chef are just three of the artists profiled in the new season of Maori Television’s art show KETE ARONUI – starting September 19 at 8:00 PM.

Now in its eighth year, KETE ARONUI covers the creative spectrum – from carvers and film-makers to writers, painters and glass blowers – to get to the heart of Maori art.

A unique blend of culture and creativity, the show pays tribute to contemporary Maori artists, but also celebrates the traditions and culture that makes their work Maori.

Each of the 13 half-hour episodes focuses on an established or emerging artist as they talk about their life and work, their passions, achievements and aspirations.

This latest series of KETE ARONUI, produced by Kiwa Productions, kicks off with a profile of acclaimed photographer John Miller.

Miller has spent his life documenting protests in Aotearoa with his camera, capturing momentous events, and recording his own experiences in the pursuit of peace throughout the past forty years.

This first episode of KETE ARONUI captures the man behind the camera, his sensitivity to the issues he has covered and his determination to document the development of Maori self-determination.

Episode two dips into the hectic life of Jacob Scott, an architect and art educator who is rebuilding the models to teach art and a Maori way of doing business.

Shane Dudley shares his story in episode three of KETE ARONUI. An emerging artist, Dudley works with cement and mixed media to create provocative works that promote discussion about New Zealand and its history.

We learn about the people who have inspired Shane on his artistic journey, as his family and friends speak candidly about the man behind the art.

Other artists profiled throughout the series include renowned painter Robyn Kahukiwa, writer and illustrator Gavin Bishop and composer Dame Gillian Whitehead.

Top international celebrity chef Peter Gordon also features in this season of KETE ARONUI, which traces the Taranaki export’s route to international acclaim, overseeing his restaurants in London and Auckland, his charity work and his take on one of his latest pet projects, the gourmet hangi.

Pip Hartley, an Auckland-based ta moko artist, brings her wise life philosophy to the camera, while the final episode of KETE ARONUI turns to Tracey Tawhiao, a painter, writer and poet.

Trained as a lawyer, Tawhiao became a painter and writer instead of pursuing a legal career. Known for her newspaper paintings, Tawhiao’s work addresses social and political issues with particular emphasis on the position of Maori in contemporary New Zealand society.

Tune in to Maori Television at 8:00 PM on September 19 to find out more about these amazing people and watch their creative juices flow in KETE ARONUI.

To watch episodes of Kete Aronui please folow this link: Kete Aronui

The three executive producer groups are:

A Collective Intake of Breath Michael Bennett, Maile Daugherty

Tauihu Shorts Tui Ruwhiu, Poata Eruera, Bradford Haami

Tom Thumb Shorts Steven O’Meagher, Chris Dudman, Polly Fryer

Their guidelines and call for entries follow.

You can also download them from our website:

http://www.nzfilm.co.nz/Premiere-Shorts

PREMIERE SHORTS 2010/2011

All short films funded by NZ Film Commission must contain significant New Zealand content.

In the 2010/2011 financial year, Premiere Shorts will support 6 short films at a budget of $90,000 per film.

Each film will be required to deliver on HDCAM SR (but 35mm ready). All other film delivery items including a film grade, dolby sound mix and license will still be required as part of the HD Cam delivery. If a Premiere Short is invited to an eligible A-list festival (see the NZ Film Commission short film post production guidelines for a list of qualifying festivals) it may also qualify for completion funds of up to $15,000 to finish the film to 35mm – depending on the formats required by the festival. Please email Premiere Shorts Assistant – Lizzie Dunn (lizzie@nzfilm.co.nz) if you have any questions regarding completion funds.

A Colective Intake of Breath Call for Applications – When we saw the first moving pictures, the Lumiere Brothers’ footage of a train leaving a French station… When a small Maori girl stood in tears on a school stage… When a human eyeball was sliced open in Luis Buniel’s extreme close-up… When De Niro stared straight at us asking, “You looking at me?”… When we watched Meg Ryan orgasming in the middle of a busy New York diner… There was a collective intake of breath.

The experience of cinema is a very human experience. It’s visceral. It’s emotional. It’s physical. It’s a group of strangers in a dark room having the exact same reaction at the exact same moment to the 60 ft high celluloid images projected in front of them. It’s a sob. It’s a laugh. It’s a gasp. It’s – A Collective Intake of Breath.

* * * * * * * * * * * *

There’s a million ways to watch stories. Now, more than ever, there has to be a bloody good reason to go to the trouble of going to the cinema. A Collective Intake of Breath has a simple philosophy. Cinema is about the sob, the gasp, the laugh, the cry. We challenge filmmakers to make short films that give the audience the profound experiences only cinema can provide. We have one criterion for the films we will fund. “Stylish” isn’t enough. “Wellexecuted” isn’t enough. “Beautiful” isn’t enough. In a year’s time we want to sit in a dark cinema, we want to watch the films we’ve developed and funded, and we want to experience that collective intake of breath.

Our approach as Executive Producers is also dead simple, and born of our name. Cinema is a collective experience, in the watching and in the making. We will seek projects that live up to our philosophy, we will work with groups that show they can

deliver the goods, we will support them at every stage of the process, and we will challenge the teams to deliver the cinematic experience the audience deserves. A Collective Intake of Breath will support films where the story and the directorial vision combine to create uniquely cinematic experiences, made by filmmakers with a clear vision of their career paths towards feature films. We are especially receptive to filmmakers who demonstrate to us a clear relationship between their proposed short film and their strategy towards feature filmmaking.

The Process

Our process is about development and relationship building. We’re not interested in opening the PO Box on October 29th and finding a pile of projects we’ve never heard about, from people we’ve never spoken to. We want to interface with the filmmaking community, build relationships, identify talent and start the process of developing projects well before application time.

At the Roadshow, the new short film scheme of Fresh Shorts and the Premiere Shorts fund will be introduced. After this, savvy filmmakers must realistically set their sights on the fund which is right for them. With the emphasis on “realistically”. If you’re at the right point in your filmmaking career to apply for Premiere Shorts then start talking to us. Our process looks like this …

[1] Initial Meetings

In the last week of August we will hold meetings over a couple of days, in person in Auckland, or via Skype, with individuals or groups intending to apply to us. Bookings must be made via our website www.acollectiveintakeofbreath.co.nz

We want to meet Writers with great stories. We want to meet Producers at the right experience level and with a thought-out path towards feature filmmaking. We want to meet eligible Directors with a proven track record, and with a committed and demonstrable strategy towards a feature film career.

This first meeting is about starting the development process that will lead to your best possible application. Part of this process will be identifying if you’re knocking on the right door. If it’s clear from this meeting that you should be turning your energy and talent towards applying to Fresh Shorts – then we’ll make that known to you. We don’t want to read scripts at this stage. We’d love to hear pitches. Keep it short. Keep it about story. A two-minute pitch is probably one minute too long.

After these initial meetings, we’ll assemble a list of existing teams, and a list of unattached Writers, Directors and Producers. You might call this the (very) long shortlist. From this we will initiate a Collective Intake of Breath Facebook page, to help you guys find each other and to build teams.

[2] Project and Team Development

For the next month you’ll be beavering away, talking to each other, Directors and Producers reading Writers’ work, brainstorming, finding your ‘tribe’.

By the end of September there will be another round of meetings in Auckland or via Skype – bookings via the website. We’ll be interested in where you’re going with your team-building, where your projects are at and where your application is headed.

Again, no scripts yet please. But if you’re feeling feedback would be useful, pitch us.

Read this!!!

We won’t accept cold-call projects for final submissions. If you wish to apply to A Collective Intake of Breath, you must meet us in at least one of the two rounds of meetings. Our process is about development and clear-headed career strategy, not throwing together an application in the last moments before deadline. And please note, additional meetings will not be scheduled outside of these dates.

Also, we’re very happy to meet with unattached individuals in the first round of meetings, and we hope teams will be formed by the second round. But for final submission we will only accept applications from full teams – ie Writer, Producer and Director.

[3] Submission

After the second round of meetings you’ve got another month to get your application ready.

The deadline is 5pm Friday October 29th 2010

The application must only include –

• Application cover sheet with name of project, team members, contact details

• Full script, industry format – no synopsis, no character pages, just the script

• CVs for Writer, Director and Producer (max. 1 page each)

• Supporting examples of the Director’s previous work (DVD only)

• Director’s Treatment (max. 2 pages)

• Confirmation that the Producer holds copyright for the screenplay, any

copyright material the screenplay is based on, and any copyright material

identified within the screenplay (music, footage, poetry, et cetera)

[4] Shortlist

At the end of November a shortlist of 5-7 projects will be announced. Congratulations!

Now the real work begins with making the script as good as it can be, refining the directorial vision, attaching key personnel, a budget and production plan. The strata-system of Premiere Shorts and Fresh Shorts is a new approach to short film financing, and the development and selection process of A Collective Intake of Breath Ltd is a new approach to project and team selection. The emphasis of the Premiere

Short Fund is to foster talent that has a clear vision of their path into feature films. Our emphasis on development and relationship building is informed by the real-world process of feature film development – and is aimed to give your project and your team the very best chance of making the short film that will launch you down your path towards feature filmmaking.

[5] Contact details

Website: www.acollectiveintakeofbreath.co.nz

Skype: a.collective.intake.of.breath

Postal address for submissions: PO Box 78088

Grey Lynn

Auckland 1245

TAUIHU SHORTS

Call for Applications for PREMIERE SHORTS –

NZ FILM COMMISSION 2010/2011

TAUIHU SHORTS is a team consisting of producer Tui Ruwhiu, writer/director Poata Eruera and writer/producer Bradford Haami.

TAUIHU SHORTS will executive produce two short films in 2011 with a budget of $90k each. While we are all Maori we want stories and applicants from any cultural background. We are looking for experienced auteurs (writers/directors) with the talent, ability and vision to tell powerful New Zealand stories in a distinctively original way that will push the boundaries of cinematic storytelling. You will already have a body of work that showcases your talents.

We welcome new approaches, new technologies and new ways of telling stories. Anyone with the passion, the clarity of vision, and the absolute commitment to craft a unique idea into an award-winning short film should submit their script for consideration. If this is you then TAUIHU SHORTS will support you every step of the way to help realise your vision.

The deadline for applications is 29 October, 2010. At this point you will need to submit

the following:

• 3 unbound copies of the script

• CV’s for key personnel

• director’s notes

• visual material which demonstrates the director’s experience on a single DVD to

support your application.

• a completed TAUIHU SHORTS Application Form. (Available for download from

www.tauihumedia.com/tauihu-shorts)

Up to twelve applicants will be selected for discussions with the executive producers. On 3 December 2010 a short list of six projects will be asked to submit a budget, director’s and producer’s notes and a production methodology by 14 January 2011.

TAUIHU SHORTS www.tauihumedia.com/tauihu-shorts

In February 2011 two submissions will be announced to receive production funding.

Criteria

We are calling for:

• screenplays from talented, experienced auteurs (writers/directors) who have

already made at least one well-received short film or who have a quality showreel

of drama, documentaries, TVCs or self-funded projects.

• screenplays of any genre that exhibit strong, original and recognisable New

Zealand themes.

• applicants with a burning passion for their short film project and the ambition,

commitment and plan to pursue a career in feature film.

• fresh, artistic ideas and approaches.

• an experienced core team (writer/director and producer) attached to the

submission. However applications from a writer/director only will also be

accepted and matched with a producer if the project makes the shortlist.

Requirements

We require:

• Three unbound, well developed screenplays in industry standard format with

title page including contact details. (Do NOT include the names of the applicant

or the team in the header or footer of the screenplay.)

• A completed TAUIHU SHORTS Application Form. (Available for download from

www.tauihumedia.com/tauihu-shorts)

• CVs for key personnel (writer/director, producer).

• Director’s notes

• Visual material which demonstrates the director’s experience on a single DVD to

support your application.

Notes

• Screenplay duration no longer than 15 minutes.

• A maximum of two separate applications per individual/team.

• All projects to comply with NZ Film Commission Act Section 18 – Significant NZ Content.

Submissions

Please send your applications to Tauihu Media Ltd, TAUIHU SHORTS, P.O. Box

104174, Lincoln Nth 0650, Waitakere.

Deadline for receipt is NO LATER than 5PM 29 October, 2010. Late applications will NOT be considered.

Please include a self-addressed, postage-paid envelope or courier pack if you require your submission materials returned.

TAUIHU SHORTS www.tauihumedia.com/tauihu-shorts

The application form is available for download from our website:

www.tauihumedia.com/tauihu-shorts

Checklist:

€ One completed Application Form.

€ 3 unbound copies of the screenplay in industry standard format with

title page including contact details. (Do NOT include the names of the

applicant or the team in the header or footer of the screenplay.)

€ Screenplay duration no longer than 15 minutes.

€ Applicant and team CVs

€ Visual material which demonstrates the director’s experience on a

single DVD to support your application.

€ A maximum of two separate applications per individual/team.

€ Post all applications to Tauihu Media Ltd, TAUIHU SHORTS, P.O. Box

104174, Lincoln Nth 0650, Waitakere. Deadline for receipt NO LATER

than5PM 29 October 2010. Late applications will NOT be accepted.

€ If you require your submission materials returned, please provide a

self-addressed, postage-paid envelope or courier pack.

TAUIHU SHORTS www.tauihumedia.com/tauihu-shorts

Tom Thumb Shorts is collaboration between Steven O’Meagher, Chris Dudman and Polly Fryer. We three share a similar ambition to make films of quality, talent and imagination – critical characteristics for making short films where money must be used very resourcefully… without sacrificing creativity. Tom Thumb Shorts is a mutually beneficial collaboration for the filmmakers we select… for us… and most importantly, for audiences.

Tom Thumb, a “small but perfectly formed” fairytale character, a little guy with a big personality and a great sense of adventure, he represents the kind of short films we aspire to make. Films that make their presence felt despite their limited stature. Films that are immersive, memorable, thought provoking and leave people wanting more.

Most importantly we want our short films to be CHARACTER DRIVEN and EMOTIONALLY ENGAGING. We are interested in drama, in any style or genre, with clear protagonists and antagonists driving the narrative. And in stories that connect with audiences on a visceral and/or emotional level.

TOM THUMB FILMS …

• have something to say

• are there to be seen and noticed… as dynamic and explosive as the tiny

firecracker.

• are original and deserving of the big screen (no homages please)

• are character-driven stories, with a memorable and distinctive cast.

• belong to any dramatic genre be it a comedy, western, horror, science fiction

or based on true life (it’s the story that’s key)

• are visually and stylistically executed to the demands of the story telling

(there’s no ‘art for art sake’)

• make audiences feel something; they amuse, thrill, infuriate, scare, or

sadden… we want to feel like there’s a human being behind the story being

told

• know who their audiences are and respect their intelligence

• they are doable… they show an understanding of budget constraints and

respect the limited duration of the short film genre

WHO WOULD MAKE A TOM THUMB SHORT FILM?

‘You have to love something enough to be able to take risks, jump over the hurdles and break through the brick walls that are always going to be placed in front of you. If you don’t have that kind of feeling for what it is you are doing, you will stop at the first giant hurdle’. – George Lucas Tom Thumb Shorts will be talent led. Our filmmakers can come from any region of the country, be of any socio-economic background, from any ethnicity, political persuasion or cultural group. If you’ve got a “small but perfectly formed” idea for the big screen then we want to help you realise this dream.

We’re looking for filmmakers who share our passion for telling stories on the big screen, who are interested in knowing and finding an audience for their films. Filmmakers who CARE about something and have something to say. We’re looking for creative people (and / or teams) who can identify their unique voice, idea and who aspire to excellence.

We expect teams to have some level of industry experience; this is not a scheme for inexperienced or first time filmmakers. We want to help build Writer – Director – Producer teams into successful creative collaborations that have the potential to work together on feature projects. We prefer teams (filmmaking is a team sport) but are open to Writers submitting scripts without Producers or Directors attached.

Directors will need to show evidence of their talent and understanding of narrative film; examples include commercials, music videos, short films, TV drama and theatre. We welcome first time and experienced Writers. We require Producers to have a body of production experience and be committed to developing these skills towards a feature film career.

WHAT WILL WE DO FOR YOU?

Steven, Chris and Polly are committed to this process of identifying great films to make, therefore we promise to:

• Read each and every script in the first instance without knowing who are

the team behind it. We want to have clear emotional reactions to stories

without being clouded by personalities.

• Provide some notes and suggestions for script development for all teams

that we meet at the shortlist stage.

• Be open-minded and ready to be inspired!

DETAIL

• Up to two submissions per individual

• Films must be a maximum of 15 minutes in length

• Films will have to be delivered on HDCAM SR but be 35mm print ready

SUBMISSIONS

Call for submissions from Monday 9th August 2010

Deadline for all submissions is Friday 29th October 2010

The shortlist will be announced before the 25th December 2010

To be considered please submit THREE unbound hard copies of:

• A completed application form (downloadable from

www.tomthumbshorts.co.nz)

• A covering letter introducing your team and project

• A well developed and formatted script (with title page and contact details)

• CVs for key personnel (Writer, Director and Producer)

• Director’s vision – a short statement or images that give us an idea of your

thinking

• One example of the Director’s work. Not a showreel but something that

demonstrates your ability to realise this story.

Please send all material to: Tom Thumb Shorts, PO Box 78/272 Grey Lynn,

Auckland

QUERIES

Please look at FAQs at www.tomthumbshorts.co.nz or email Polly on

production@tomthumbshorts.co.nz.

Shortland street cast

Here is a listing of the top ten programmes on NZTV, recorded as of the 24th of  August  2010 via Nielsen TV Audience Measurement.

The top programme being watched as of the 24th of August is still One news TV ONE, and yet again reality TV shows are dominating the ratings. And as for Shortland street, they have raised the bar since featuring in the last ratings.

1 One News TVOne

2 Shortland Street TV2

3 Border Patrol TVOne

4 Two and a Half Men (R) TV2

5 Rapid Response TVOne

6 Outback Wildlife Rescue TVOne

7 National Bank Country Calendar TVOne

8 Motorway Patrol TV2

9 Police Ten 7 TV2

10 Coronation Street TVOne

To watch any of these programs folow the link below:  Top Ten Programmes

Eel Girl character from one of Campion's other short films

Principle photography has begun in Wellington, New Zealand on World War II Horror pic, THE DEVIL’S ROCK.

Written by Paul Finch, Paul Campion and Brett Ihaka, The Devil’s Rock is award-winning short film director Paul Campion’s debut feature film. His short films Night of the Hell Hamsters and Eel Girl have screened at every major genre film festival worldwide.

Produced by Leanne Saunders (The Devil Dared Me To, A Song of Good), the film is set in the Channel Islands on the eve of D-Day. Two Kiwi commandos, sent to destroy German gun emplacements to distract Hitler’s forces away from Normandy, discover a Nazi occult plot to unleash demonic forces to win the war.

Academy Award winning New Zealand company WETA Workshop (Avatar, District 9, Lord of the Rings, King Kong ) will create the film’s physical effects, whose ensemble cast includes Craig Hall (Love Birds, Boy, 30 Days of Night, The World’s Fastest Indian, King Kong), Matthew Sunderland (Out of the Blue, Under the Mountain), Gina Varela (Xena, Siones Wedding, Power Rangers) and Karl Drinkwater (A Song of Good, Lord of the Rings, Spartacus: Blood & Sand).

The Devil’s Rock has been financed by the New Zealand Film Commission and Chameleon Pictures. It will be distributed in NZ by Vendetta Films. NZ Film, the sales arm of the NZFC, is handling world sales of the film.

To watch some shorts of Campion’s body of work folow these links:

Night of the Hell Hamsters (2007) http://vimeo.com/7200256

Eel Girl (2008) http://vimeo.com/7199863

John Banks and Len Brown

Q+A’s Paul Holmes conducts the first Supercity mayoral debate between John Banks, Andrew Williams & Len Brown

The debate has been transcribed below. The full length video debate from this morning’s Q+A can also be seen on tvnz.co.nz at, Debate

Q+A is repeated on TVNZ 7 at 9.10pm on Sunday nights and 10.10am and 2.10pm on Mondays.

SUPERCITY MAYORAL DEBATE between JOHN BANKS, ANDREW WILLIAMS & LEN BROWN

Conducted by PAUL HOLMES

PAUL Next month, voting papers are going to be sent out to the households around the country as we get to elect our mayors and councils for the next three years. Now, we will know all of the winners on October 9, but no race around the country is attracting such interest or is as crucial to New Zealand’s future as that for the Auckland mayoralty and who gets to lead the new single supercity. Six candidates have confirmed their standing. In order of declarations, they are Manukau mayor Len Brown, Auckland mayor John Banks, actor and Auckland theatre-company founder Simon Praast, property manager Colin Craig and North Shore mayor Andrew Williams and water campaigner Penny Bright. I should say to you at this time that despite some continuous speculation, I am not standing for the mayoralty of Auckland. This morning… This morning we have the three standing mayors with us. This is the first time they’ve been together on a campaign platform. The first time they’ve all debated. Their order of speaking this morning, and the order in which they’re standing, has been deciding by the drawing of lots. We’ll start with an opening statement of 30 seconds from each of you. What I want you to tell us in 30 seconds is how Auckland will have improved after three years of your leadership. John Banks, 30 seconds.

JOHN BANKS – Auckland Mayor

I want all citizens of this great city to have the same opportunities that I’ve had. It’s about investment, growth, jobs, opportunity, security and prosperity around investment, growth and jobs. This is going to be the greatest change ever seen in local government’s history. It’s going to take experience. It’s going to take consistent decisive leadership from day one. All of the decisions are going to be difficult. We need to embrace all of the communities. There’s much more that unites us than divides us, but it’s going to be about investment, growth, jobs, consistent decisive role-model leadership.

PAUL Thank you, that is 30. Mr Williams.

ANDREW WILLIAMS – North Shore Mayor

Paul, in three years’ time, I will have delivered a cruise terminal down on the waterfront at Captain Cook Wharf, not at Queens Wharf. I will have delivered electric trains across the region and integrated ticketing. I will have delivered economic growth across the city and all the economic sectors together to have one large strong city working together. I will have brought the communities together from Wellsford in the north to Pukekohe in the south and really create a united Auckland with all those communities, those 21 local boards. And I will have brought vibrancy to the city through the arts, music, culture.

PAUL Thank you, Mr Williams at 30. Mr Brown.

LEN BROWN – Manukau Mayor

Paul, after three years of leadership, our people will see that Auckland really is the most liveable city in the world. Our economy will be booming. We’ll be fixing our transport. We’ll be building a rapid-transit system with rail to the airport, inner-city loop, rail to the North Shore. Our communities will be safer and stronger, and our local boards will be preserving their local identities. We will have capped our rates, and we would have produced a brilliant, beautiful city. That’s my commitment to the people of Auckland.

PAUL Which all sounds very utopian and sounds like it’s going to be easy, but, of course, you’re all realists, and you’re all current mayors, and you know it is not going to be easy. Just tell me about leadership. First of all, imposing a leadership across the whole region. How does, say, a current mayor of Auckland lead the people of Manukau? How does the current leader of Manukau lead people in Birkdale? How does the leader of Takapuna, for example, lead the people of Papakura? Big ask. Mr Williams.

ANDREW I think that’s very important, Paul. And one of the things I’m very worried about is that this will become an Auckland Central takeover of the rest of the region. What I bring to it is a perspective of around the region that I already have connections from the north to the south to the west and to the east, and as far as the Gulf Islands. We have to bring them all together.

PAUL What I’m asking is how you do it, Mr Williams.

ANDREW Uh, in a collegial manner, through all the different organisations. We’ve got so many ethnicities across this city. So many of the aged, the youth, all the various community organisations. We’ve got to bring everyone together and get on to the same sheet.

PAUL Where, though, Mr Brown, you’re talking about being kind of an Elizabethan court in progress, moving around the various regions to hold the council meetings, yes?

LEN Absolutely. Yes. Yes. I think that rotating council meetings will be an essential way of actually giving the community a sense that they are really valued. That you care for them. Do you want them to connect in? Communities are saying very clearly that they feel that they will be marginalised. They’ll lose their local identities. So we need to get around the communities. Secondly, we need to ensure the local boards are empowered so that they will be the primary connect for those communities. Paul, we’re in danger of losing those communities through this change.

PAUL Right. They’re inevitably going to lose a bit of local identity, aren’t they, Mr Banks?

JOHN Well, we’re going to lose local identity if we’re going to have marches in the street like we did in Manukau City yesterday over liquor outlets and the proliferation of the same. Unprecedented numbers of new booze outlets in South Auckland taking young people on a journey to hell. We’ve got push back on the liquor outlets. We’ve got to have a united Auckland singing from one song sheet. We need to reach out to all the communities from Wellsford to Tuakau, from Little Huia to Maraetai.

PAUL Yes, yes. But how would you do this? Would you move council meetings around like Mr Brown’s going to do?

JOHN No, because I’m going to engage with the local boards. We need to reach out to the local boards, give them the powers they need to do the job we expect, to spend local monies.

PAUL What kinds of things are they going to do, in your mind, the local boards?

JOHN Liquor outlets in South Auckland, those people that marched in the street yesterday want to push back. We’re going to push back on liquor outlets. In one street in South Auckland, there’s five outlets. In one street.

PAUL No, you made the point.

LEN In terms of the liquor outlets in South Auckland, I want to see leadership on this. And the only way to deal with the proliferation of liquor outlets – and there are 500 off-licences in Auckland as against 187 in Manukau City–

ANDREW And there’s even less on the North Shore.

LEN There is a major proliferation across the region, not just Manukau. And I want to say the key issue here is Parliamentary leadership and a leader of Auckland delivering a change in the legislation to enable local communities to have a serious say in the granting of liquor licences.

PAUL But, see, here’s the problem—

LEN The only way to seriously curb it.

PAUL You are already showing us a problem. I asked you how you’re going to guarantee the locality, the importance of local communities. You quite rightly mentioned a demonstration in Manukau City yesterday. But you’re each talking— you’re all talking about the proliferation of liquor outlets as if this is going to be driven not by the local boards, but by central mayoral leadership.

JOHN Well, it does need central mayoral leadership. To make this work, all the decisions on day one are going to be very very complex and difficult. It needs experience when it counts, and it needs stable leadership, and a leadership based on a lot of experience as a local councillor, regional councillor, a Member of Parliament, a minister of the Crown, a minister of local government, and twice the mayor of Auckland.

PAUL This is you?

JOHN Yes, sir.

PAUL You slid, Mr Banks, very easily into that, if I may say so. Let us—Can we discuss – and I’m reluctant to do this, but the public, I’m assured, expect it – can we discuss some of the perceived weaknesses of each of you? Mr Banks, how do we believe someone whose candidacy for the mayoralty of the supercity is viable because he stopped being who he really is? And, of course, the newspaper was— (LAUGHS) There was even a picture of a leopard, a mayoral candidate with the spots of a leopard. You’ve made remarks in the past, not too long ago, about homosexuals and it being unhygienic and so forth. You’ve said we don’t want transvestites in the police force because we don’t want them mincing up town with stockings on, fishnet stockings—

JOHN Paul, if you’re going to vote for me on my faults, you’re not going to vote for me. If you’re going to vote for me on my experience, you’re going to vote for me. If you’re going to vote for me on consistent, decisive leadership when it matters, you’re going to vote for me. I can unite Auckland. This is important. We’ve got to get it right. It’s our biggest opportunity.

PAUL I understand that, and people change, Mr Banks, but I think the feeling is you really are very confrontational. You’ve been very quiet for three years because you want this new job. Have you— Is the old Banks going to come back the moment you win re-election? If you win.

JOHN Well, let’s be fair about it. I’ve been elected to public office 10 times. I’m only the second mayor in Auckland that’s ever come back from exile. The people of Auckland are very generous. They’ll judge me on my strengths of leadership, decisive decision-making, experience when it matters – from day one.

PAUL Let me go to Andrew Williams. Perceived weaknesses. Do we need more public toilets?

ANDREW We do, Paul. We need a lot more lemon trees, too, I can say.

PAUL Yes. Hmm. I hope no lemon trees have been damaged. Well, Andrew, it’s a fair enough question. We had that incident after a bit of an afternoon at a restaurant. And then, of course, we had the revelations, several revelations, over a period of time, about abusive texts to people like the Prime Minister.

ANDREW Yes, and that was proven to be wrong, Paul. The Prime Minister didn’t get those at 3.30. He woke up and read his texts at 3.30. Our records show the last text was sent at 12— Sorry, 15 minutes past midnight the night that Parliament rose at midnight from the second bill. So sorry, I dismiss it.

PAUL Nevertheless, who sends a text to the Prime Minister at a quarter past midnight, Mr Williams? He’s got work.

ANDREW Paul, actually, the texts went to all four MPs on the North Shore. The other MPs as well.

JOHN Paul, let’s cut to the politics of substance.

PAUL Hang on. What I’m saying is people want to know the mayor is going to be rational. Now, here you are sending a text to MPs at a quarter past midnight.

ANDREW As they came out of the Parliament. As they came out of the Parliament, Paul.

PAUL All right. Mr Brown. Let’s go to you. The public is sick of free-loading by elected officials. We have the case of Murray McCully this week, of course, and the $185 bottles of Pinot Noir for the IRB. And you’re credit-card happy, it seems. We bought groceries at New World on the mayoral credit card. How could you have done that, Mr Brown? How could you have done that?

LEN Paul, we’ve all had question marks over our mayoral experiences.

PAUL But just a minute, you bought groceries on the mayoral credit card from New World in Takanini.

LEN I have been on the front foot on this issue. I’ve acknowledged that I could have been tidier. I sent my records off the Attorney-General— uh, for the Auditor-General’s assessment. Sent ‘em straight back. Uh, Paul, I acknowledged my mistakes, and I have learnt my lesson, and I know that we won’t do it again.

JOHN What I can tell you, Paul, I never had a credit card as a minister of the Crown.

PAUL No, the PA did.

ANDREW No, you use other people’s credit cards.

JOHN I’ve never had a credit card as the mayor of Auckland. And I’ve had $432.80 worth of expenses, in six years, outside the mayoral office. And I spend $75 a week on flowers, and my office runs—

ANDREW Wasn’t it $11,000 last year?

JOHN My office—

PAUL Mr Banks, I want you to— Gentlemen, please

ALL TALK AT ONCE

ANDREW $11,000 in flowers, John? $11,000 of flowers?

PAUL I want to get onto the substantial issue. I want the substantial issues.

JOHN Please, those living glasshouses should not be throwing stones, Paul.

PAUL Hang on, Len. Just a minute, Len. Please. All right. I really have to address this. It’s all very well decorating the office, making it look nice, sending flowers to nice people who are not very well and so forth. What you said was, ‘I’ve never had a credit card.’ You just repeated that. Of course, your PA does. That gives the impression, Mr Banks, with respect, of slipperiness.

JOHN Well, $432.80 of expenses outside—

PAUL ‘I don’t have a card.’ The PA does.

JOHN $432.80 of expenses outside the mayoral office in six years. What I’m going to—

PAUL No, answer the question.

JOHN What I’m going to tell you is this is about affordable progress and the mantra will be affordable progress. And the outcome will be value for money.

PAUL Mr Banks, please, answer yes or no.

JOHN Talk about the politics of substance.

PAUL Does that give a look of slipperiness, saying ‘I don’t have a credit card.’ It turns out the PA does? Yes or no?

JOHN The PA buys flowers with the credit card. That’s all.

PAUL Answer the question. All right—

JOHN There’s no groceries.

ANDREW $11,000 worth.

JOHN There’s no groceries. There’s no pork. There’s no flash meals. There’s no long liquid-lunches. There’s none of that. And by the way, at the new council, there’ll be no credit cards for any of the elected officials, and the transparency and accountability will be on the website every three months.

PAUL All right, Mr Banks. Thank you. Good, good, good. People can check the website and find out everything. Let’s move on to substantial issues. Or substantive, as we say these days. Transport. The greatest bugbear in Auckland. Andrew, you start us off.

ANDREW Absolutely. Transport is 80% of Aucklanders’ problems. That’s the big one. And what we’re going to do is roll out the public transport absolutely with integrated ticketing across the whole of Auckland.

PAUL That happens next year anyway.

ANDREW Yep. No, no. But it has to be completed. We have to have better ferry services. We have to have the full transport system running all around Auckland.

PAUL Can I stop you there? Better ferry services? What do you mean? Go to more places?

ANDREW Yes.

PAUL So we use the harbour more as a transport?

ANDREW Yeah, we’ve got the biggest open highway out there being unused, effectively.

LEN Well, not only that, but, for example, at Half Moon Bay, that needs upgrading. The Bayswater Marina needs upgrading. We need to be considering…

ANDREW Takapuna, Browns Bay, Hobsonville.

LEN …the investment into our other marina. Now, Paul, this is a part of an overarching, innovative transport system. So clearly we’re investing in rail. Rail to the airport. Rail to complete the inner-city loop. Rail to the North Shore. And so, Paul, this is an opportunity for a step-change.

PAUL Now, let’s talk about the inner-city loop, because this is where all trains come into Britomart. We knock the back wall down on the Britomart, and then we build an underground loop that takes us all around Auckland.

ANDREW And a cross-harbour tunnel to go to the North Shore.

PAUL No, let’s talk about that shortly. That’s another big one, Andrew. But this inner-city underground loop, I understand the hope is that 370,000 Aucklanders can be delivered within the CBD in 30 minutes. All of you want this? All of you are on the same page?

ANDREW and LEN AGREE

JOHN I don’t have a problem with that.

PAUL The government has a problem. The government won’t pay the one and a half billion. So how are you going to get it off them?

JOHN Advocacy. For the first time in history. For the first time in history, one council, one mayor, one voice, one song sheet and a big lobby group to Wellington. We can do it. But it’s not going to be about these issues, Paul. This election is going to be about who is the best-qualified candidate to deliver on the vision with affordable progress, with the most experience around consistent, decisive leadership.

PAUL And the way you will be judged on that is do we the have inner-city loop and do we manage to get it? Do you have the leadership to get that? Len Brown.

LEN That’s exactly right. So it’s just not about rates. It’s just not about taxes. It’s also about the possibility of us issuing significant infrastructure bonds. It’s also about us considering whether or not this is an appropriate project. And other appropriate projects for PPPs.

PAUL Ah, yes, I know. And you’re not opposed to those?

LEN No, I’m not. I’m comfortable for us to go through that process and look at those as one of the four alternatives.

PAUL What I’m asking you— Hang on, Andrew. What I’m asking you all is how you’re going to get the $1.5 billion off Steven Joyce, who doesn’t think he’s got the money.

ANDREW Paul, in the last 15 years, Auckland received $3 billion in its fuel taxes when it gave the government $7 billion in fuel taxes. We were $4 billion underfunded. It’s time that Auckland got a lot of that funding back. And so what we’re doing now— and we’re getting $900 million a year this year from the government. Five years ago, we were getting $50 million for Auckland transport. Finally the ledger is coming right. We’re getting the spending here. And it will happen. But we will have to have private-public partnerships to do, for instance, the cross-harbour tunnel.

JOHN Fixing the train set is critical. We push 18 trains an hour in and we pull 18 trains an hour out of the Britomart. This will give us 36 trains running up Albert St and back to Mt Eden. The train set will work with double tracking, modern rolling stock and electrification. It can be built with economic infrastructure bonds. $600 million has been lost – 600 million – by the people and their savings in shonky finance companies. We can put all of that money into economic infrastructure bonds to build Auckland, where the seniors have their money safe, they get a good return and they’re doing something great. They’re building a greater Auckland.

LEN So, Paul, it’s not just about the issue of credibility. It’s about the issue of trust and believability. Who does Auckland actually believe can deliver on these projects? Who has had strong focus? For example, in Manukau, we have at last the first extension…

ANDREW They’ve got a lot of bus lanes in Manukau.

LEN …to suburban rail in 73 years. So this is about believability and trust. Who do we trust to hold our public assets?

PAUL Train line— Who do we trust? I don’t know.

LEN Who do we trust to look after our communities?

JOHN No, Paul, but there’s—

PAUL Who do we trust? Tell me the answers.

LEN We are going to hold our public assets. We are going to hold our airport shares. We’re going to hold our port shares. We’re going to hold our water – waste water, storm water – Paul. Who do we trust to actually hold those airport shares in the future?

PAUL I assume you’re saying we’re trusting Mr Brown on this.

JOHN No, Paul—

PAUL No, hang on, Mr Banks, please. I’ve got to move on. The third harbour crossing. People outside Auckland will think it’s the second harbour crossing. It’s not. Third harbour crossing. We’ve got the Harbour Bridge, which it’s totally a bottleneck nightmare. Third harbour crossing, what do you favour, Mr Williams?

ANDREW Within the next 12 months we will confirm exactly what it is. I believe it will be tunnels going across.

PAUL That’s what you want?

ANDREW And it should be staged. And the first tunnels—

PAUL Is that what you want? Is that what you want?

ANDREW Absolutely. And the first tunnel should be for the rail. We get as many people off the roads and into rail going to the North Share, and the rail will go all the way to Orewa, not just to Takapuna or the lower North Shore. To Orewa. And people from the North Harbour area will be able to go all the way through to the airport. Now, you imagine the step-change in Auckland when people don’t have to drive all the way to the Auckland Airport, they can take a fast train there.

PAUL Give me a date, then, on completion of the third harbour crossing.

LEN 15 years. 15 years we need to drive through with some urgency, Paul. The reason is that these three projects are critical in step-change for Auckland’s transport transformation. So we need to move quickly on it.

JOHN Promises, promises, promises.

PAUL No, hang on, Mr Banks. I just want—

LEN This is about vision, Paul. This is about delivery.

ANDREW The clip-ons have to be fixed within 20 years.

PAUL We need the third harbour crossing.

ANDREW The clip-ons have to be fixed within 20 years.

PAUL Let’s go back to start. So the first stage you would see is a tunnel, that’s rail.

ANDREW Yes.

PAUL And when would that be completed by?

ANDREW Uh, by 2018 I’ve said.

PAUL 2018. What comes next?

ANDREW Four years later, the road tunnels.

PAUL How many road tunnels?

ANDREW Two road tunnels, one each way. So you’ve got four tunnels. This is how the modern technology is, because, Paul, within 20 years, the clip-ons are going to have to be physically replaced on the Harbour Bridge.

JOHN Oh no, Paul. Let me have an opportunity.

PAUL Hang on. Let me finish this off. So give me the year for the completion of the challenges of the third harbour crossing.

ANDREW It will start in 2022 and it will take about five years to build.

PAUL Right, Mr Banks.

JOHN Dear me. Promises, promises, promises. Billions and billions and billions of dollars. The best-qualified candidate to work with this John Key government, this National Party government this year and after the election next year is myself. We’ve got to have open dialogue and good conversation and being able to pitch up our arguments and being able to win those with a united Auckland of one voice.

PAUL Yes, all right, but these are platitudes, with respect, Mr Banks. Tell me about what your vision is for the third harbour crossing.

ANDREW And provide more revenue-making bus lanes.

PAUL Tell me about what your vision is for the third harbour crossing.

JOHN My vision for a third harbour crossing is around all of the major projects. Most of the major projects about roading construction build, integrated public transport well on the way. The first three years of the Auckland Council, the mantra will be affordable progress. The outcome will be value for money and holding rates—

PAUL Have you got no dates in your mind about the third harbour crossing? You can have all the roading projects in the world, but you can’t go underwater.

JOHN I agree with third harbour crossing. I agree with rail from Albany to the airport. It’s about affordable progress…

PAUL No dates, Mr Banks?

JOHN …coming out of an international recession. We’ve got to keep rates down, and we’ve got make sure there’s efficiencies. We’ve got to make sure there’s value for money, and we’ve got to make sure, on day one, there’s great services to the rate-payers.

LEN Paul, I understand that—

PAUL So no promises or guarantees from you on third harbour crossing? Is that what I take?

JOHN Yeah, the promise is one day there’ll be a third harbour crossing. Is it 15 years or 20 years? I don’t know. I’m best qualified to talk to this government about that and work with Steven Joyce on it.

PAUL So a decision, we know, is going to be made on the third harbour crossing by the end of next year. Anyway, we’re talking 2025, 2028. The Auckland waterfront, Mr Brown, Mr Williams, Mr Banks. Now, whether— It’s widely regarded by Aucklanders, and I think possibly New Zealanders as well, as if not the gateway to New Zealand, it’s certainly our shop front. What would you do, what is your vision for the Auckland City waterfront?

LEN We’re going to have a master plan that will be put in place one year after the mayoral election. We’re going to do a major promenade along the Quay St road. In front of the waterfront, we’re going to upgrade and update Wynyard Quarter. I see the potential of a major exhibition—

PAUL Can I say, people outside of Auckland, Wynyard Point is Tank Farm?

LEN That exactly is. We’re going to put a wonderful exhibition centre. That’s the place for our iconic development. I want to do a cruise ship terminal on the Captain Cook Wharf. I’m looking at the possibility of ensuring that Queens Wharf maintains itself as an open public area. And, Paul, I am not keen on carrying out significant work on the Port sight at this point. I want us to take a long hard look at the Port facility, Bledisloe, Fergusson.

PAUL So you wouldn’t consider anything like, for example, an international design competition for—

LEN Absolutely. But we need to actually show respect to international design competitions, not start the competition and then abort it halfway through, as what happened with Queens Wharf.

PAUL Yes, which was very Mickey Mouse. It was. All right, Mr Williams.

ANDREW Paul, you received my policy statement yesterday. I very clearly—

PAUL Yes, it was very long, and it was Saturday.

ANDREW Yeah, it was Saturday. But I very clearly stated Queens Wharf is not the place for the cruise ship terminal. That’s there for the people of Auckland. That’s there to open up the waterfront. Captain Cook Wharf has to be the one to be extended and turned into a dedicated cruise terminal.

PAUL Yeah, but do you have a vision for the integration of that entire stretch—

ANDREW Absolutely. Absolutely. And, Paul, what I have a vision for is much of Quay St will get undergrounded into a tunnel so that the whole of the area becomes a very pedestrian-friendly link to Queen St. Queen St is our main street for Auckland. It is cut off from the harbour. What we want to do is pedestrianise it at the bottom so that the people of Auckland can really enjoy the waterfront.

PAUL Your vision for the waterfront.

JOHN It’s not about iconic buildings.

PAUL You’ve had many years.

JOHN It’s not about— Well, yes, six years ago it was me that saved Westhaven from a certain sale to a Taiwanese property investor.

PAUL Your vision?

JOHN I bought Westhaven for 50 million for the people of Auckland and your great-grandchildren yet born. My vision is not about iconic buildings. My vision is about a truly iconic waterfront. An iconic waterfront at the bottom of Queen St, Onehunga, all up the east coast bays, Maraetai, Piha Beach, where Bob Harvey comes from, is the iconic waterfront. We need to protect and enhance with an integrated plan and a master plan for all of the development from Bledisloe right to Westhaven.

PAUL Ok, now, here’s the guts question, in a way. And everyone’s going to be asking this. The thought was, early on, when we talked about a supercity, that we might get a situation where we have what the Americans have, which is the executive mayor with a wide range of decision-making capability. In fact, we end up where whichever one of you is going to be elected, or any of the other candidates is going to be elected, will be one vote of 21. In the end, it’s the same as it always was. What can the mayor do? What are you going to be able to guarantee the people of Auckland you can do – briefly, please, I’m running out of time – with the limited power you have as one in 21 votes on the council.

LEN It will depend on how inclusive you are as the mayor and your ability to actually unite that council. We’ve had a history of divisive politics in Auckland City. I’m going to unite our council, for a start. Have the opportunity to appoint the deputy mayor and the chairs. So with a united council, we’re going to deliver out a vision in this city based on a transportation reformation, of strong economic growth—

PAUL So it’s persuasion? It’s persuasion and inclusion?

LEN It’s persuasion and inclusion, yep.

ANDREW Paul, I have a plan to have four deputies under me. One for the north, one for the south, one for the west and one for central.

PAUL That will be a nightmare, don’t you think?

ANDREW No, no. The four deputies will help bring the whole of Auckland together, because this cannot all be on one single person. This is wrong. The same way as it cannot all be on the Prime Minister. You have ministers around the Prime Minister. Four deputies.

PAUL Good. Thank you. And Mr Banks? Four deputies, yes.

JOHN What unites us is far greater than what divides us. We have to work together from all corners to make sure it works, but what it will be about is affordable progress and value for money. Savings, efficiencies and good services. It will be about consistent decisive leadership, embracing the communities, embracing the account—uh, the people. Leaving political persuasions at the door, leaving cronyism behind, making it work, because we have to make it work for Auckland, and we have to make it work for New Zealand.

PAUL Well, I wish the three of you luck, and I thank you very much for coming on the programme. Manukau City mayor Len Brown, North Shore City mayor Andrew Williams and Auckland City mayor Mr John Banks.

Andrew Williams

TVNZ 7 highlights New Zealand innovation and development throughout August with its Spotlight on yScience + Technolog, in association with the Ministry of Research, Science and Technology (MoRST).

The month of special programming officially launches on Tuesday 3 August at the City Gallery in Wellington with the unveiling of new local television series Ever Wondered?, produced in partnership with the Royal Society of New Zealand, which, like MoRST, is concerned with promoting the importance of science and technology for the benefit of all New Zealanders.

Ever Wondered?, presented by the winner of the 2009 Prime Minister’s MacDiarmid Emerging Scientist Prize, Dr John Watt, is set to inspire Kiwi minds and spark curiosities as Watt searches high and low for answers to today’s most challenging scientific questions.

TVNZ 7 Channel Manager, Philippa Mossman, is delighted to work with the Royal Society to bring New Zealanders unique local content which highlights the importance of science and technology to our country’s development.

“Science and technology are at the heart of everything, and Ever Wondered? is our opportunity to showcase the work of our scientists and to consider how much we value them, and what they do for our economy and lifestyle,” says Mossman.

The Royal Society of New Zealand’s Chief Executive, Dr Di McCarthy, shares this enthusiasm.

“The idea of a brand new television series on TVNZ 7 designed to excite and inform with great stories of science and technology in contemporary New Zealand is thrilling to the Royal Society of New Zealand.

“We especially want to see young New Zealanders become inspired by the fantastic array of opportunities which science and technology offer as a career. We are also looking forward to seeing the benefits of research presented in a way that makes viewers take a second look and say ‘Wow, I didn’t know that.”

TVNZ 7’s Spotlight on Science and Technology brings New Zealanders a range of programmes that provide insight into the exciting scientific developments taking place globally and locally.

These include stand-out BBC series Wonders of the Solar System and The Story of Science, the TVNZ 7 Internet Debate LIVE from Avalon Studios on Tuesday 11 August, The Good Word Debate (a spin-off of TVNZ 7 regular show The Good Word with a moot skewed to the science/technology theme), animated short-form series Science Made Simple, and special editions of TVNZ 7’s regular shows Back Benches, Talk Talk and Media7.

For more information go to http://tvnz.co.nz/tvnz-7

TVNZ 7 is available on Freeview/TiVo channel 7 and on SKY/Telstra channel 97.

Mike King Famous NZ Comedian

A popular radioshow and Facebook site now a televison series too! Mike King’s revolutionary show for mental ilness sufferers THE NUTTERS CLUB premieres on Maori Television on Friday August 6 at 10.00 PM.

THE NUTTERS CLUB is a 13-part series based on King’s national talkback radio show on RadioLive (Sundays from 8.00PM to midnight), which was nominated for a Radio Award this year.

The television series features King and resident psychiatrist Dr David Codyre in the radio studio. Each week a special guest is invited in to share their personal stories and talk about their challenges with mental health. They are frank and emotionally compelling stories from across a broad spectrum of mental illness.

Featured guests include a mix of well-known screen personalities, and ordinary people who have led extraordinary lives. Among them are former Shortland Street stars Nicola Kawana and Peter Elliott, fashion designer Denise L’Estrange-Corbet and Carterton mayor Gary McPhee.

Host Mike King says the radio listeners and growing Facebook community membership show the programme resonates with many people.

“It’s about life as it really is,” says King. “When you actually hear a real person sharing their story and they openly admit to having problems and being flawed, you have a lightbulb moment. You start realising, hmmm, that sounds just like me.

“This series deals with what conventional thinkers consider tough subject matter in a caring, kind and entertaining way. The stories will touch hearts and move people.”

Made for television by Top Shelf Productions, producer Brian Holland says a large number of New Zealanders are affected by mental illness, personally or through association with others.

“Some of my best friends are nuts, and that’s what drew me to the project,” he says.

A Ministry of Health survey in 2006 found that around 47 per cent of New Zealanders will experience a mental illness or an addiction at some time in their lives.

Holland says the series is fearless in dealing with issues once considered taboo.

“THE NUTTERS CLUB is a place where like-minded people can openly share their thoughts, feelings and experiences and in doing so help themselves and others, and even have a few laughs along the way. The show appeals to people with open minds and an appetite for frank, honest discussion. The support we’ve seen and heard people get from the experience is incredible, and we hope the television series will spread the positivity even further.”

Fearless, compelling and original, tune in to THE NUTTERS CLUB on Maori Television from Friday August 6 at 10.00 PM.