The Taxpayers Union has said that the New Zealand Film Commission needs to stop giving out film subsidies – because they’re not good value.

According to numbers compiled by former boss of South Pacific Pictures, John Barnett, the Film Commission has spent a whopping $88 million of taxpayer money on 54 movies over the last few years. However, they only made $14 million at the NZ Box Office. 

John Barnett told Heater du Plessis-Allan “Our stories need by told by us, and to us.”

Barnett said “We should be smarter about what we put our money into.”

LISTEN ABOVE.

The Taxpayers Union has said that the New Zealand Film Commission needs to stop giving out film subsidies – because they’re not good value. 
According to numbers compiled by former boss of South Pacific Pictures, John Barnett, the Film Commission has spent a whopping $88 million of taxpayer money on 54 movies over the last few years. However, they only made $14 million at the NZ Box Office.  
John Barnett told Heater du Plessis-Allan “Our stories need by told by us, and to us.” 
Barnett said “We should be smarter about what we put our money into.” 
LISTEN ABOVE.

With a straight down the middle approach, Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive on Newstalk ZB delivers the very latest news and views to New Zealanders as they wrap up their day.

Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive

John Barnett: Former South Pacific Pictures Boss on whether the Film Commission is funding the right projects

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/7784f840-c291-422a-924b-ad9000bbad71/clips/b9ced637-4a87-462d-95d5-b18f0053b7e5/transcript

I'm astonished, can I say, that Marty Grenfell, the boss of Tauranga City Council, thinks no one has to quit over the landslide and the damning report. And frankly, that there are not outright calls for him to quit from the mayor and the local MP.

That report, I don't know if it could have been more damning, because it told us Tauranga City Council was warned multiple times that a landslide might happen in exactly the spot where a landslide happened, as early as 1999 and as most recently as only six or seven months before the landslide.

The most recent warning said that because this might happen, the council should put in place a warning system where if somebody saw something untoward, they could then call in and a series of things would kick into motion that would lead to the evacuation of people to save their lives.

On the day of the landslide, someone saw something untoward and they called it in and nothing happened because there was no system. There was no clear direction on who to call and what to do and whether to evacuate people.

Now, Marty Grenfell's strategy is to blame the person who received the report and the manager who saw it for not passing it on to someone who could then create that system, that warning system. And look, that's fair. We've all worked in organisations where that kind of thing happens, right?

But we also know those organisations only exist like that because the boss thinks it's okay that the organisation is a shambles like that. Because the boss thinks it's okay to spend money on consultants to prepare reports that then just get filed away and not acted on. 

Marty Grenfell has been the boss of that organisation in that state of shambles for about eight years. That is more than enough time to tidy it up and he hasn't. So it is ultimately his fault as the boss that the system was that untidy and that people died because of a system failure.

Now, he needs to quit. Either he needs to say that the person who got the report and didn't pass it on needs to quit because they didn't know who to pass it on to, or he needs to quit because he oversaw a system where they didn't know who to pass it on to.

LISTEN ABOVE

I'm astonished, can I say, that Marty Grenfell, the boss of Tauranga City Council, thinks no one has to quit over the landslide and the damning report. And frankly, that there are not outright calls for him to quit from the mayor and the local MP.
That report, I don't know if it could have been more damning, because it told us Tauranga City Council was warned multiple times that a landslide might happen in exactly the spot where a landslide happened, as early as 1999 and as most recently as only six or seven months before the landslide.
The most recent warning said that because this might happen, the council should put in place a warning system where if somebody saw something untoward, they could then call in and a series of things would kick into motion that would lead to the evacuation of people to save their lives.
On the day of the landslide, someone saw something untoward and they called it in and nothing happened because there was no system. There was no clear direction on who to call and what to do and whether to evacuate people.
Now, Marty Grenfell's strategy is to blame the person who received the report and the manager who saw it for not passing it on to someone who could then create that system, that warning system. And look, that's fair. We've all worked in organisations where that kind of thing happens, right?
But we also know those organisations only exist like that because the boss thinks it's okay that the organisation is a shambles like that. Because the boss thinks it's okay to spend money on consultants to prepare reports that then just get filed away and not acted on.&nbsp;
Marty Grenfell has been the boss of that organisation in that state of shambles for about eight years. That is more than enough time to tidy it up and he hasn't. So it is ultimately his fault as the boss that the system was that untidy and that people died because of a system failure.
Now, he needs to quit. Either he needs to say that the person who got the report and didn't pass it on needs to quit because they didn't know who to pass it on to, or he needs to quit because he oversaw a system where they didn't know who to pass it on to.
LISTEN ABOVE

Perspective with Heather du Plessis-Allan: The Mount Maunganui landslide report couldn't be more damning

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/7784f840-c291-422a-924b-ad9000bbad71/clips/608b8de2-e592-443d-9b7d-b4ae01727ffb/transcript

Listen to the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast for Friday 21 August.

Get the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast every weekday evening on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Listen to the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast for Friday 21 August. 
Get the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast every weekday evening on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Full Show Podcast: 21 August 2026 

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/7784f840-c291-422a-924b-ad9000bbad71/clips/6585e908-d88f-4c9b-9ae9-b4ad0076bcb5/transcript

Rugby's Greatest Rivalry is counting down to the real action kicking off on Sunday morning, with the Springboks and All Blacks coaches engaging in some pre-match mental games.

South African coach Rassie Erasmus says he can't say who'll win, but it's a four-match series so game three will be the most important.

New Zealand Herald's Rugby Analyst Gregor Paul joins Heather du Plessis-Allan from South Africa, and tells her why he thinks Dave Rennie will be heading into this match with confidence.

LISTEN ABOVE

Rugby's Greatest Rivalry is counting down to the real action kicking off on Sunday morning, with the Springboks and All Blacks coaches engaging in some pre-match mental games.
South African coach Rassie Erasmus says he can't say who'll win, but it's a four-match series so game three will be the most important.
New Zealand Herald's Rugby Analyst Gregor Paul joins Heather du Plessis-Allan from South Africa, and tells her why he thinks Dave Rennie will be heading into this match with confidence.
LISTEN ABOVE

Gregor Paul: New Zealand Herald's Rugby Analyst in South Africa ahead of Sunday's All Blacks test match

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/7784f840-c291-422a-924b-ad9000bbad71/clips/c044642b-73f8-43d7-89ed-b4ad005f8210/transcript

John Barnett: Former South Pacific Pictures Boss on whether the Film Commission is funding the right projects

In 1 playlist(s)

Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive

Social links

Follow podcast

Recent clips