'Political favouritism' for Hollywood film crews, says opposition MP

Tuesday, 2 June 2020

What are believed to be Avatar film workers, who flew in direct from LA, on their balconies at the QT Hotel, where they are quarantined for 14 days.

Opposition MPs say the government's decision to allow big-budget film crews into New Zealand is 'political favouritism'.

The Avatar crew – along with workers for another, still-secret film – were allowed past New Zealand's Covid-19 closed borders after the Government granted an exemption for them.

While nine-in-every-ten requests for special exceptions for overseas workers gets rejected before even reaching Economic Development Minister Phil Twyford's desk, a charter plane carrying up to 56 film workers arrived in Wellington on Sunday.

ACT Leader David Seymour called the move 'an insult to working New Zealanders.'

* Guests stunned to find they are staying alongside Avatar crew direct from Covid-19 hot zone

* Avatar crew touch down in Wellington in historic flight from LA

An Avatar film worker at the QT Hotel, where they are quarantined for 14 days.

“What are the rules at the border? At the moment, it seems that if you’re a friend of the Government, you’re in business. If not, you’re on your own. There should be one rule for everyone… It’s unacceptable for politicians to be picking and choosing who can enter the country.'

Seymour said many other industries, including fishing, horticulture, and education, were also desperate for exemptions to get skilled workers back into the country.

National Party economic development spokesperson Judith Collins wasn't opposed to the crew's border exemption being granted, saying the economy 'needs all the help we can get', but called for more clarity around criteria on exemptions.

An Air New Zealand Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner at, Wellington Airport ,which flew directly from Los Angeles carrying film workers.

She said the decision seemed unfair when many small businesses were still facing strict restrictions.

'It certainly would seem some are not getting that same treatment. There must be a lot of small businesses wondering if there are different rules for different people… why does this particular venture get preferential treatment?'

Fresh from LA, Avatar star Cliff Curtis spoke to west Auckland students about the film industry and the future of Māori cinema.

The studio behind a secret big-budget film had threatened to pull the pin on New Zealand if key staff couldn't get through closed borders.

Ministry of Business, Innovation, and Employment's Iain Cossar confirmed one of the productions faced the 'real possibility' of not being made without the exemption to enter New Zealand 'as key cast are committed to future projects'.

Stuff has had confirmation this was information that came from the studio of the yet-to-be-announced project, not Avatar.

“The two production companies met the criteria, providing employment to around 600 New Zealanders, and because of the significant level of economic activity from each production,' Cossar said.

'In the event that the exception applications had not been approved, the two productions would have remained in hibernation leaving the New Zealanders working on these projects without work.'

The QT Museum Apartments where guests stay, away from the quarantined workers from Los Angeles.

Avatar director James Cameron and producer Jon Landau are among the film workers who arrived in Wellington on Sunday.

Twyford has confirmed he allowed 56 film workers past New Zealand's borders, among the 201 special exemptions made.

He had approved every application for special exemptions for overseas workers to enter New Zealand that had been recommended by officials. But 90 per cent of applications were rejected by MBIE before they made it to him.

Twyford said he was not lobbied by studios and those allowed in had to meet strict criteria.

They were judged on a case-by-case basis. They had to have a 'highly unusual talent or skill', the project had to be time-critical, and have a big financial value to New Zealand.

At any given time during the two-week quarantine period, Ministry of Health, Regional Public Health, Wellington City Council, and Aviation Security Service have staff at QT Hotel, on Cable St in Wellington.

Jeremy Holmes, from the Wellington Region Emergency Co-ordination Centre, which is looking after the effort, confirmed it was taxpayers footing the bill for the staff time as quarantined workers served out their time at the QT Hotel.

The crew were paying for the accommodation and associated costs.

Some government workers were staying at the hotel - with that bill paid for by the production company. Others were rotating through to have a full complement of staff 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

At any given time during quarantine there would be at least four staff on at the hotel, paid for by taxpayers, he said.

He couldn't say how many security staff were working but said there was capacity to escalate their numbers if needed. Police could also be called in.

The guests were only allowed out, accompanied by security, to isolated areas outside the city limits. They were not allowed to go into shops.

Los Angeles is one of the worst-affected places in the United States, with a tally of 55,001 confirmed cases by Tuesday morning and 2362 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University.

The Screen Production Grant, started in 2014, enables international film and television productions to receive a cash grant equivalent of 20 to 25 per cent of their eligible budgets. Not all spending necessarily qualifies for the rebate.

The Film Commission's 2018-2019 annual report shows Avatar spent $146 million in two interim stages and qualified for just over $29m in cash back from those.

A 2018 report by New Zealand Institute of Economic Research showed film-making created 2500 jobs in the Wellington region, and added an estimated $260m to the capital's economy in 2017.