Is the taxpayer-funded Swarbrick documentary stuck in development hell?

ACT Arts, Culture and Heritage spokesperson Todd Stephenson says serious questions remain about the long-delayed taxpayer-funded documentary on Green MP Chlöe Swarbrick, now that New Zealand has entered an election year.

“NZ On Air’s $200,000 funding for Being Chlöe was announced in late 2021, with the expectation the film would be released after the 2023 election,” says Mr Stephenson.

“Four years later, it still hasn’t been released. There’s no confirmed date, no marketing, and only vague assurances that it’s ‘in post-production’.”

“At the time, NZ On Air acknowledged the political sensitivity of funding a documentary about a sitting MP and said timing mattered. Now it’s an election year.”

Mr Stephenson says if the film does end up being released this year, it raises obvious issues.

“If a taxpayer-funded documentary about a sitting MP appears during an election year, it’s reasonable to ask whether the film and its marketing should be treated as election advertising,” says Mr Stephenson.

“The alternative is delaying it again, which would leave taxpayers funding an outdated film about the 2023 election. Either way, taxpayers and viewers lose.

“This project began as a short film about the rise of Parliament’s then-youngest MP. Six years later, the political moment it was meant to capture has passed, young people have found new voices, and taxpayers are still waiting for a finished product.

“Before Labour asks New Zealanders to pay more for streaming services through a new levy, they should explain why taxpayers should trust a system where public money can be committed to a political puff piece and years later there’s still no documentary to show for it.”

Editor’s note:
NZ On Air approved funding of up to $199,999 for Being Chlöe in late 2021. The New Zealand Film Commission later approved an additional $20,000 in development funding.

The most recent update from July 2025 can be found in this NZ Herald article.