Wednesday, June 08, 2005
Ads by Labour a despicable rort of taxpayer money
From Aaron Bhatnagar and is repeated verbatim because it's so good. Thanks Aaron.
On TV3 news tonight (no links yet) is the news of Labour's counter offensive to National's billboard campaign. Problem is, they are using taxpayer money to put their ads up on bus shelters and the like - the ads run the Labour Party logo and the Parliamentary crest side-by-side, and give Parliament Buildings as their address. There is no actual parliamentary/government benefit or service being advocate - just a slogan which I suspect will probably, by great coincidence, be identical or close to the actual campaign slogan used on official Labour Party political propaganda.
Even the likely Labour Party coalition partners in the Green Party think that they have crossed the line.
Personally, I can't believe how contemptuous of taxpayer dollars Labour has become. The slogan "You are better off with Labour" does nothing in terms of advocating a Parliamentary service to taxpayers - it is pure electioneering - plain and simple. This follows on top of the dubious "Working for families" spendup that Labour have been running on TV to sell last years budget package.
This is not the first time that political parties have abused the Parliamentary crest for promotion - I would suggest that all parties have been guilty of this in the past, but never on such a blatant scale. There really ought to be a complete ban on any Parliamentary crested propaganda, (billboards, mail, pamphlets) within 3-6 months of the election date, unless it is actually promoting a function of the bureaucracy that is legitimate, such as letting people know where their nearest IRD office is, letting them know about upcoming school trust board elections or similar, or an MP confirming his or her office hours for appointments for constituents. All other communications should be paid for by private donations.
Labour should cease this campaign immediately and pay back the dollars - I am sure Owen Glen would be happy to help Labour campaign ethically. This blatant and shameless advertising binge on taxpayer dollars is indefensible, and I challenge Labour bloggers to speak up in favour of it.
On TV3 news tonight (no links yet) is the news of Labour's counter offensive to National's billboard campaign. Problem is, they are using taxpayer money to put their ads up on bus shelters and the like - the ads run the Labour Party logo and the Parliamentary crest side-by-side, and give Parliament Buildings as their address. There is no actual parliamentary/government benefit or service being advocate - just a slogan which I suspect will probably, by great coincidence, be identical or close to the actual campaign slogan used on official Labour Party political propaganda.
Even the likely Labour Party coalition partners in the Green Party think that they have crossed the line.
Personally, I can't believe how contemptuous of taxpayer dollars Labour has become. The slogan "You are better off with Labour" does nothing in terms of advocating a Parliamentary service to taxpayers - it is pure electioneering - plain and simple. This follows on top of the dubious "Working for families" spendup that Labour have been running on TV to sell last years budget package.
This is not the first time that political parties have abused the Parliamentary crest for promotion - I would suggest that all parties have been guilty of this in the past, but never on such a blatant scale. There really ought to be a complete ban on any Parliamentary crested propaganda, (billboards, mail, pamphlets) within 3-6 months of the election date, unless it is actually promoting a function of the bureaucracy that is legitimate, such as letting people know where their nearest IRD office is, letting them know about upcoming school trust board elections or similar, or an MP confirming his or her office hours for appointments for constituents. All other communications should be paid for by private donations.
Labour should cease this campaign immediately and pay back the dollars - I am sure Owen Glen would be happy to help Labour campaign ethically. This blatant and shameless advertising binge on taxpayer dollars is indefensible, and I challenge Labour bloggers to speak up in favour of it.
Comments:
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I agree completely Gooner, I think a) it should be repayed, and b) there should be a complete ban on propoganda with the parliamentry crest b4 an election. And I'm even against the Working for families and such ads as they still promote Labour, if they made no mention of Labour they would be better and then the Families commission ads which makes ppl believe that it was Labour that got it into legislation, when in fact it was Uniteds standing point as their side of the coalition.
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