February 28, 2023
More money to Te Matatini good idea says PM
Prime Minister Chris Hipkins says he’s open to discussions about more sustainable funding for Te Matatini.
The Maori Party has called for the biennial national kapa haka competition to be put funded to the same level as the bational ballet or symphiny orchestra, based on the spending per performer, but Mr Hipkins says they have quite different operating models.
He says it’s an important cultural event for the whole country that needs the proper support.
“So I just need to sit down with them and we need to work out how we can do that sustainably. I think it’s a fantastic event for New Zealand so I want to see it continue, I want to see it thrive and and I think it should be a point of pride for all New Zealanders, We should be as proud of Te Matatini as we are when we see the All Blacks performing a haka at the beginning of a test match,” Mr Hipkins says.
Te Matatini receives about $1.9 million a year, with the expectation it will pull in a crowd of 60,000 over the four day final, but Mr Hipkins says there are other local events and activities in the two-year cycle that make Te Matatini what it is.