The commerce committee has reported back [PDF] on the government's Major Events Management Bill, and recommended that it be passed. They've made some minor changes - in particular a welcome clause excluding "commuications of personal opinion made by a natural person for no commercial gain" from the definition of advertising (meaning people can wave their "[sponsor] sucks!" flag outside the Rugby World Cup without being arrested) - but the thrust of the bill, establishing "clean zones" in which unauthorised advertising is forbidden, remains.
As I said when this issue first came up, if sponsors want a monopoly on advertising within x kilometres of a venue, they have a very simple solution available: pay for it. But I really don't see why the government should be getting involved to support them. Event managers can promise "clean venues" all they like, but this is creating a clean city - something which simply is not theirs to sell.
The committee also recommended that the amendments in Supplementary Order Paper 106, establishing draconian penalties for pitch invasion, be included. Only three people submitted on it, so if anyone is displeased, perhaps they should have spoken up at the time.
...and thus the Kiwi tradition of a crowd invading a rugby field when a match is concluded has now well and truly been put to death.
ReplyDeleteProfessionalism is sport has taken a lot away from it.
Brendon "Millsy" Mills
Oh, Jesus... I don't even think this is about 'protecting corporate greed' but a disturbing tendency for politicians' brains to shut down as soon as the words 'Rugby World Cup' are mentioned.
ReplyDeleteI see no reason to change the opinion I had at the time:-
I've nothing against corporate sponsorship of events - after all, I attended a number of screenings at the Auckland Film Festival this year. Big ups to Telecom for continuing their support of an event I consider a major addition to Auckland's cultural life - and one that is, incidentally, a reliable and substantial earner for the ACC-owned Civic Theatre.
Oddly enough, I don't recall the Auckland City Council passing a by-law to make sure patrons weren't 'ambushed' by Vodaphone advertising around the venues during the festival. Patrons weren't turned away for being inappropriately branded or (quelle horreur!) being Vodaphone customers. The world didn't end, and it was the least of Telecom's problems that there was a huge Vodaphone billboard across the road from the Civic.
For once, I/S is sounding dreadfully like a right-wing market fundamentalist and he's right. :) To put it crudely, you don't have to be a Randoid to argue it's not the legitimate function of Government - or a Minister of the Crown - to represent the commercial self-interest of the NZRFU and it's sponsors. They can either pay for their advertising space like everyone else, or at least stop chanting "Rugby World Cup 2011" like it's the name of God. I've got a three word response: "I care because?"