A bouquet for Neil Finn

The arts and culture industry has become rather sycophantic towards Helen Clark and the Labour Party, and it's an unhealthy relationship based on very little. So it's good to see musician Neil Finn showing some dissent. He's been reported as speaking out in a 'blistering attack' on the PM who is also the Arts and Culture Minister. He says 'It sort of sickens me to see Helen Clark getting up at the music awards and taking bows', and that a false idea exists that 'It's like New Zealand music is taking over the world and it's all because of Helen'. No doubt Finn's anger towards her is based partly on Clark's effective sinking of the project that Finn was pushing to create a non-commercial youth radio network. Private radio feared the competition, so Clark dumped it. Finn should be happy to receiving the Chorus of disapproval from the conservative music industry 'spokespeople' like Howard Morrison ('I'm so bloody mad') and Ray Columbus ('God help Kiwi music when she retires... in my book she can take as much credit as she likes'). I'll write a future post on the topic - but essentially Clark has been attempting to leave a legacy or an association with cultural and national identity, in lieu of doing much else for the country.