The Government's $100M Deal with Amazon: April 20, 2021

The New Zealand Government has made a deal with global tech giant Amazon to the sum of $100 million plus NZD for the production of . The deal extends to an ongoing relationship where a senior team from Amazon will look at further opportunities available in Aotearoa.

News and Editorial Director Jemima Huston looks into the deal and some of the different perspectives on it. She speaks to National Party spokesperson for economic development Todd McClay, New Zealand film producer John Barnett and Green Party spokesperson on economic development Chlöe Swarbrick. They go over their individual positions on the deal, the impact it could have on employment in New Zealand's film and television industry, and the problems that could arise between Amazon’s reputation for treating workers poorly and New Zealand’s Hobbit Law which has left all those working in the film industry as independent contractors without the same protections of employees or rights to unionise.

The Amazon deal has brought up a number of different economic and moral issues for those working in film and television, politicians, economists and New Zealanders more generally. Will a state relationship with Amazon provide more opportunities for New Zealanders or could the millions of dollars this deal involves be better used elsewhere in a Covid-19 world?