Corporate Welfare for Hollywood

So, the government has announced a fat package of corporate welfare to attract Hollywood filmmakers to New Zealand. I can see why they're doing it - to try and establish us us a production centre in the global film industry - but my gut reaction is that it's a bad idea. Not because I'm any sort of market purist, but because I think corporate welfare is a mug's game, and because I hate the idea of giving money to wealthy foreigners. That's just not how government redistribution is supposed to work.

Hollywood is rich enough already, and it's not as if we need to offer them a break to get them to come here - The Last Samurai is proof enough of that. If we can compete in the global market for film production, then that's good - but let's not subsidise the entertainment megacorps simply so Helen can have more photo ops with Tom Cruise.