iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Duncan Webb MP @duncanwebbmp.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

$15: School Holiday Fun: Illustration Paste Ups with Meike, 26th September, The Arts Centre $18: Cat Book Bag class, 29th September, Imprint Studio FREE: Youth Have a Go Surf Day, 30th September, Christchurch Surf Lessons

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Duncan Webb MP @duncanwebbmp.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

$20 - $35: Quail Island Pirate Hunt, 26th September – 11th October, Quail Island $15: Vivaldi's Four Seasons Children's Interactive Concert, 27th September, Mt Pleasant Community Centre $30: Guardians of the Wild Wood: Spellbound Puppetry Workshop, 26th September, 5 Worcester Street

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Duncan Webb MP @duncanwebbmp.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

SCHOOL HOLIDAYS WEEK ONE: FREE: Junk Band Jam, Sunday 27th September, The Arts Centre FREE: Games Day, 27th, 29th September & 11th October, The Arts Centre FREE: Tamariki Book Festival, 26th September, The Arts Centre

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Duncan Webb MP @duncanwebbmp.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

I’ve compiled a list of activities for you, happening around Christchurch for the first week of the school holidays. Check out What’s on Christchurch for even more events!

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Duncan Webb MP @duncanwebbmp.bsky.social · 17/08/2026

Because before we can have confidence in the outcomes, we need confidence in the process. And right now, that confidence has been seriously shaken.

Email from Duncan Webb to Creative NZ:
Kia ora,
Please provide the guidelines for the allocation of funding adopted by the Arts Council of New Zealand Toi Aotearoa pursuant to section 7(2)(a) of the Arts Council of New Zealand Toi Aotearoa Act 2014, including all current versions and any resolutions adopting those guidelines.
Kind regards,
Duncan

Email from Creative NZ to Duncan Webb:
Kia ora Duncan,
Thank you for your email.
In response to your question, we have undertaken further searches of our historical records and, despite reasonable efforts to locate it, have not identified any document that is expressly identified as guidelines adopted under section 7(2)(a) of the Arts Council of New Zealand Toi Aotearoa Act 2014, Following those searches, any such document either does not exist or cannot be found (section 18(e), OIA).

Based on this, any information potentially relevant to your request would instead be contained in Arts Council papers and related records concerning particular funding programmes, initiatives and decisions over time.
For that reason, if you wish to expand the scope of your request, please let us know so we can identify the information most relevant to your interests. I'm more than happy to discuss this with you directly, if this would help.
Ngā mihi

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Duncan Webb MP @duncanwebbmp.bsky.social · 17/08/2026

When one island receives only a fraction of the funding and the statutory guidelines that are supposed to govern those decisions appear not to exist, New Zealanders are entitled to ask hard questions. I certainly will be.

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Duncan Webb MP @duncanwebbmp.bsky.social · 17/08/2026

And it is about ensuring that all parts of New Zealand, including the South Island, are treated fairly.

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Duncan Webb MP @duncanwebbmp.bsky.social · 17/08/2026

The issue here is bigger than any individual funding decision. It is about whether public institutions are following the requirements that Parliament has imposed on them. It is about transparency. It is about accountability.

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Duncan Webb MP @duncanwebbmp.bsky.social · 17/08/2026

The requirement for funding guidelines wasn't put in the legislation by accident. Parliament included it for a reason. When public money is being allocated, there must be transparency around the principles that guide those decisions.

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Duncan Webb MP @duncanwebbmp.bsky.social · 17/08/2026

People will inevitably have different views about which projects deserve support. That's healthy. That's democracy. But wherever you stand in that debate, surely we can all agree on one thing: The public has a right to know the rules.

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Duncan Webb MP @duncanwebbmp.bsky.social · 17/08/2026

If there are no board-adopted guidelines, then a very obvious question arises: On what basis are these funding decisions being made? And when the South Island based organisations received only 10% of funding, that question becomes even more important.

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Duncan Webb MP @duncanwebbmp.bsky.social · 17/08/2026

We're not talking about a missing memo buried in a filing cabinet. We're talking about the fundamental guidong principles that are supposed to govern the allocation of millions of dollars of public funding.

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Duncan Webb MP @duncanwebbmp.bsky.social · 17/08/2026

Not only did CNZ not follow the guidelines that the law requires them to have – they have never adopted them! That should alarm anyone who believes in transparent and accountable government.

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Duncan Webb MP @duncanwebbmp.bsky.social · 17/08/2026

The law says CNZ / the Arts Council must set guidelines for the allocation of funding. I asked for those guidelines. They do not exist.

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Duncan Webb MP @duncanwebbmp.bsky.social · 17/08/2026

Then something extraordinary happened. Creative New Zealand undertook further searches of its records and responded that it could not identify any document expressly identified as guidelines adopted under section 7(2)(a). Let that sink in.

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Duncan Webb MP @duncanwebbmp.bsky.social · 17/08/2026

I clarified that I was seeking the overarching guidelines that the Arts Council is required by statute to adopt under section 7(2)(a).

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Duncan Webb MP @duncanwebbmp.bsky.social · 17/08/2026

At first, Creative New Zealand suggested that funding guidelines were available on its website. But those documents are programme-specific grant criteria. That's not what I asked for.

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Duncan Webb MP @duncanwebbmp.bsky.social · 17/08/2026

So I made an Official Information Act request asking for the guidelines that CNZ / the Arts Council is required by law to have.

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Duncan Webb MP @duncanwebbmp.bsky.social · 17/08/2026

They should help ensure consistency, fairness, transparency and accountability. Maybe they would also even talk about equitable geographic spread of funding. I wanted to know the rules and see whether CNZ / the Arts Council had followed them.

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Duncan Webb MP @duncanwebbmp.bsky.social · 17/08/2026

If an organisation is entrusted with distributing public money, surely there should be clear, board-approved guidelines explaining how funding is allocated. Those guidelines should provide the principles and framework for decisions.

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Duncan Webb MP @duncanwebbmp.bsky.social · 17/08/2026

One provision immediately caught my attention. Section 7(2)(a) says that the Arts Council "must set guidelines for the allocation of funding." That seems pretty straightforward.

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Duncan Webb MP @duncanwebbmp.bsky.social · 17/08/2026

The Arts Council of New Zealand Toi Aotearoa Act 2014 sets out the framework under which funding decisions are meant to be made.

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Duncan Webb MP @duncanwebbmp.bsky.social · 17/08/2026

My next reaction, as a lawyer, was simple: did Creative New Zealand follow its own rules? After all, Parliament didn't just hand Creative New Zealand millions of taxpayer dollars and tell it to spend them however it likes.

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Duncan Webb MP @duncanwebbmp.bsky.social · 17/08/2026

Content warning - long grumpy post about arts funding ahead. South Island based arts organisations were reported as getting just 10% of Creative New Zealand funding. That's bad enough. What I discovered next was astonishing.

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Duncan Webb MP @duncanwebbmp.bsky.social · 22/07/2026

Kia ora, John Carnigie from Energy Resources Aotearoa

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Duncan Webb MP @duncanwebbmp.bsky.social · 13/07/2026

Under Doocey's watch the Woodend Bypass has become the dead-end bypass... 😬

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Duncan Webb MP @duncanwebbmp.bsky.social · 08/07/2026

🌳Ranger for a Day: $5, 16th July 🧩Creative Bricks Community Event | House of Bricks: $5, 16th July 🌱Come Plant with Us: Free, 18th July 📚Step into a Book: Green Screen Experience - 5-12 years: Free, 17th July

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Duncan Webb MP @duncanwebbmp.bsky.social · 08/07/2026

✨Matariki mā Puaka adventure: Free, 14th, 21st & 28th July 🎬Movie and Popcorn: Free, 15th July 🎧Little Listeners Lounge for 5-12 years: Free, 9th, 13th & 16th July 🍭Rock Candy Making: Free, 8th, 9th, 10th, 11th, 14th, 15th, 16th, 17th & 18th July

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Duncan Webb MP @duncanwebbmp.bsky.social · 08/07/2026

With the cost-of-living biting, I’ve compiled a list of some awesome free or cheap school holiday activities to enjoy over the school holidays. You can find more details on the Kidsfest website in the comments.

School holiday activities:
Matariki mā Puaka adventure
Movies and popcorn
Creative Bricks Community Event
Little Listeners Lounge
Come Plant with Us
Rock Candy Making
Ranger for a Day
Step into a Book

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Duncan Webb MP @duncanwebbmp.bsky.social · 08/07/2026

There's only 5 days left to submit on the Climate Change Response (Tort Liability) Amendment Bill. This Bill would prevent lawsuits against companies for climate-changing emissions like the Mike Smith case. Submission link in the comments. #nzpol

A dark day for democracy
Climate change response amendment bill:
The Government is rushing the submission process
HAVE YOUR SAY NOW
Authorised by Duncan Webb MP Parliament Buildings Wellington

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Duncan Webb MP @duncanwebbmp.bsky.social · 07/07/2026

Our plan will cover the full cost of panels and a battery with a Government-backed loan, subsidies of up to $3,000 for low- and middle-income households, plug-in solar for renters, and a community battery fund for whole neighbourhoods. Real savings, straight back in your pocket.

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Duncan Webb MP @duncanwebbmp.bsky.social · 07/07/2026

#BREAKING Labour will create SolarSaver to remove the upfront cost that shuts most families out of solar. #nzpol

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Duncan Webb MP @duncanwebbmp.bsky.social · 03/07/2026

There’s almost too many backdowns to keep track of… Pivot! Pivot! Pivot!

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Duncan Webb MP @duncanwebbmp.bsky.social · 01/07/2026

What a shocker. Our CEO prime minister can’t even run his own office properly let alone the country.

HOW IT STARTED:
Officials investigating after climate document went missing, PM's staffer used private email

HOW IT'S GOING:
Ombudsman upholds OIA complaint against Prime Minister's Office
'Surprising': Ombudsman blasts Prime Minister's Office and adviser over missing document
'Unreasonable': Chief Ombudsman rules against PM Christopher Luxon in climate lobbying document debacle
PM's office breached OIA over climate note - Ombudsman
AUTHORISED BY DUNCAN WEBB MP PARLIAMENT BUILDINGS WELLINGTON

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Duncan Webb MP @duncanwebbmp.bsky.social · 26/06/2026

The focus is on improving some key areas the community has said matter most. For example, flexibility in services, planning ahead for life changes, better information and advice, and respite for carers. Find out more and take part at www.disabilitysupport.govt.nz/haveyoursay

disabilitysupport.govt.nz

Have your say on further improvements to services | Disability Support Services

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Duncan Webb MP @duncanwebbmp.bsky.social · 26/06/2026

From now until 31 July, disabled people, families, whānau and carers can have their say and help shape the next improvements to disability support services.

Help shape the next improvements to disability support services.
Consultations closes 31st July.
Take the survey now!
Authorised by Duncan Webb MP, Parliament Buildings Wellington.

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Duncan Webb MP @duncanwebbmp.bsky.social · 22/06/2026

That's why we're bringing back free prescriptions to cut the cost-of-living, support small local pharmacies and reduce the stress on our health system. 🥳

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Duncan Webb MP @duncanwebbmp.bsky.social · 22/06/2026

Last year, 155,000 New Zealanders did not collect medicine they’d been prescribed because they couldn’t afford it. People who don’t collect their prescriptions are 30% more likely to end up admitted, costing the health system far more than the $5 ever saved.

New Labour policy:
Free prescriptions

Last year, 155,000 New Zealanders did not collect medicine they'd been prescribed because they couldn't afford it.

Authorised by Duncan Webb MP Parliament buildings Wellington

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Duncan Webb MP @duncanwebbmp.bsky.social · 22/06/2026

The benefit of going to small local pharmacies is that the pharmacist can have a chat with you about the medications, side effects and any other important information. Rural communities often don't have access to Chemist Warehouse etc.

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Duncan Webb MP @duncanwebbmp.bsky.social · 22/06/2026

155,000 kiwis didn't pick up their prescription last year because the cost was too high. Labour is bringing back free prescriptions which will help with the cost of living, support small local pharmacies and will ease pressure on our already strained health system. #nzpol

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Duncan Webb MP @duncanwebbmp.bsky.social · 18/06/2026

🍻 Do you think rapid alcohol deliveries should be A) banned B) regulated or C) left to it's own devices? Sound off in the comments 👇

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Duncan Webb MP @duncanwebbmp.bsky.social · 18/06/2026

The Justice Committee is considering reforms to the Sale and Supply of Alcohol Act. I was concerned at the approach of Woolworths (which operates Milkrun) to rapid delivery of alcohol.

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Duncan Webb MP @duncanwebbmp.bsky.social · 15/06/2026

It's volunteer week this week. Which means it's the time to thank all the hardworking volunteers in your community! Shout out volunteer groups in the comments so we can celebrate their work. 😁

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