Just shows the state of the Vast Right WIng Conspiracy in NZ doesn’t it. Redbaiter receives a lot of stick for saying the right wing in NZ is really far left, but what about a blogger who is so often labelled “right wing”, cheering so passionately for the state to make movies? Farrar expressed his desire in a comment on the folowing news item-

Changes announced yesterday to government funding for screen productions are expected to open the door to more television productions, in the wake of previous big money-spinners such as Hercules, Spartacus and Xena: Warrior Princess.

“We are very keen to encourage television. It’s the economic bread and butter,” New Zealand Film Commission chief executive Graeme Mason said yesterday. “You have a couple of movies come out a week, compared to hundreds of hours of television.”

Hit shows such as Game of Thrones have been big winners for countries where they were filmed, with its first three seasons generating £65 million (about NZ$124m) for the Northern Ireland economy.

We’re talking about grants here, or maybe tax cuts. I can’t work it out. Whatever, it still gives rise to the question “what the hell is our government in the film business for?”. I asked this question on Kiwblog, when I should have known better. “Surely its OK if the government makes money” was the reply.

Of course the figures are all fudged to hell, and there are views out there that say the government doesn’t really make any money, but that is not the point. If that’s the justification, then why isn’t the government in every business? Hang on a sec, what am I asking? In this country, it just about is. Got its damn stinking pudgy commie fingers in every pie one way or the other. Pity we didn’t have a real VRWC, we might get the changes we need.