Brian Rudman: What about a super promise for the arts

Wellington mayor Kerry Prendergast. Photo / Mark Mitchell

In recent weeks, Wellington's lowly Victoria University (world ranking 225) has been trying to seduce Auckland students away from superior Auckland University (world ranking 68) with advertising regurgitating the Big Lie that the Cook Strait town is the country's cultural and arts capital.

In yesterday's Herald, campaigning Wellington Mayor Kerry Prendergast was also at it, telling even bigger porkies. Not only was Wellington "recognised as the arts and culture capital" but "we have the best quality of life in New Zealand".

Now we know none of the above is true.

The only title Wellington has any justifiable claim to is earthquake capital - and even that's shaky after last weekend's challenge from Christchurch. But you do have to admire the passion and conviction with which the Wellingtonians try to delude themselves and others on these issues.

It shows they appreciate the importance of the finer things of life in maintaining a healthy community, something glaringly missing from the campaigns of those wanting to run the new Auckland. From that of the leading contenders anyway.

John Banks deserves credit for finding a home for the James Wallace art collection, but go to his campaign website, or that of his main rival, Len Brown, and there's not a word about the arts, or of the place of culture in the new city.

Len Brown's website is a wasteland. All I could find was a one-line mention in a collection of six bullet points under the heading "Setting values and direction". It was number five and read "Enhance our arts, culture and heritage". And that was it.

Mr Banks is little better. His only nod to culture was in a May speech extolling international events, promising he would bring events such as the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting and the Melbourne Motorshow to Auckland.

Only in the final paragraph does culture slip in as an afterthought. "Like Melbourne we won't just concentrate on sports. We must become a city known for hosting exhibitions, arts and culture. If we don't have the infrastructure then we need to invest in it. A Super City needs super events. I am committed to bringing them."

It's culture as an imported super event. But what about the thriving homegrown variety?

I was hoping to contrast the culture-free awfulness of the two mayoral front-runners' websites with that of Simon Prast's, a rival candidate and founder and first artistic director of the Auckland Theatre Company.

But I couldn't. While Mr Prast declares "I stand for creativity" and outlines his experience with more than 60 theatrical productions, he uses this theatre experience only to demonstrate his ability to manage people, keep to a budget and the like. No statement of cultural intent there either.

Is it too much to expect them to say, that like Wellington's campaigning mayor, they appreciate that world-class communities are more than cheap water, reliable sewage systems, and good public transport?

Is it too much to expect them to put Wellington in its rightful place as No 2 in the culture stakes - not just for the fun of popping an over-inflated balloon, but to show to Aucklanders that our mayoral wannabes realise the issue is important?

They're falling over each other to promise trains to the airport for example, but where are the pledges to save and redevelop the St James Theatre into the opera and ballet venue the city lacks?

How can you be world class and not have a decent theatre? Where are the pledges to maintain the regional funding model for key amenities that was widely opposed by local politicians outside Auckland City? What plans do they have to integrate the cultural assets and infrastructure of the region into the new single city organisation?

Our aspiring leaders should be reminding Mrs Prendergast that the last Economist Intelligence Unit global liveability survey ranked Auckland No 10 out of 140 cities. Wellington was well behind at No 23.

They should be extolling the fact that Auckland is the film capital, with $878 million of the $1.26 billion spent on production and post-production in 2008 going straight into the Auckland economy. Best of all, they could have an arts and culture policy that shows they even know any of the above, and value it.