Chadwick shows Labours financial illiteracy

Labour's Arts spokeswoman confirmed with her comments about arts funding today why New Zealanders don't trust her party to even read, let alone write, a budget, Minister for Arts Culture and Heritage Christopher Finlayson said today.

Ms Chadwick incorrectly accused the government of "slashing" the regional museums budget by $20 million.

"If Ms Chadwick had read the budget properly, she would know the unusually high one-off appropriation for regional museums in 2008/09 of $29.547 million included an unspent $20.391 million which had accumulated over several years waiting for the Auckland Art Gallery refurbishment project to get off the ground," Mr Finlayson said.

"It was explained in the notes of the budget estimates."

"The previous Labour government had specifically tagged that money for the Auckland Art Gallery. Once the project was done and the money was finally spent last year, the 2009/2010 appropriation would return to the baseline amount, whoever was in government."

"Ms Chadwick was a minister in the previous Labour government which dedicated this sum, which went exclusively to the Auckland Art Gallery for refurbishments. Her financial illiteracy shows why no-one in New Zealand trusts Labour to even read, let alone write, a budget."

The regional museum's policy appropriation is $8 million for 2009/2010. There was a reduction in baseline funding for 2009/2010 of $1.2 million as a result of the Ministry for Cuture and Heritage's value-for-money review earlier this year.

"This government is committed to regional and provincial centres having the opportunity of rich cultural and artistic experiences," said Mr Finlayson.