[2] The New South Wales Artworkers Union joined the MEAA, a Professional Sports Branch was created, and the Screen Technicians Association of Australia (STAA) reconstituted itself under the Alliance banner.

[citation needed] MEAA members include people working in TV, radio, theatre, the film industry, cinemas, entertainment venues and recreation grounds, including journalists, actors, dancers, sportspeople, cartoonists, photographers, orchestral and opera performers, as well as people working in public relations, advertising, publishing and website production.

[citation needed] In 2011, MEAA ("the Alliance") approached the Association of Professional Engineers, Scientists and Managers Australia "to explore the benefits of collaboration by sharing back-end services or amalgamation".

[20] The independent-contractor assertions were called into question by the 2005 court case Bryson v Three Foot Six Ltd. A. F. Tyson noted that critics "frequently focuse[d] on the MEAA rather than the NZAE"[11] On 20 October 2010, a Wellington meeting of NZAE was called off in the face of a protest planned by hundreds of film crew who feared The Hobbit production would relocate to Eastern Europe.

[22] On 29 October the government rushed a bill amending the 1986 act through Parliament, overturning the 2005 decision by explicitly declaring all film workers to be independent contractors.

[citation needed] Emails released in December 2010 by way of the Official Information Act showed that Jackson told the Government he did not believe an international actors' boycott would force The Hobbit overseas.

The message, sent to the office of Economic Development Minister Gerry Brownlee on 18 October, contrasts comments the film-maker made earlier in the month.