PPTA billboard breaches EFA – Yeah Right

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Media Release
4 August 2008

PPTA billboard breaches Electoral Finance Act – Yeah Right!

As the election campaign starts heating up the Electoral Finance Act complaints come rolling in.

Tui advertisements, spare tire covers and even the PPTA’s class size campaign billboards have all been snared in its net.

The good news is the electoral commission has had the common sense to throw out a trivial complaint about the PPTA’s “How dense do you want them?” billboard (see http://www.ppta.org.nz) for image).

PPTA president Robin Duff welcomed today’s decision, that the billboard did not contravene the Electoral Finance Act.

The billboard, which is part of the PPTA’s ongoing campaign to reduce secondary school class sizes, was “business as usual” for the PPTA and would have continued regardless of whether or not it was an election year, Mr Duff said.

“Campaigning for better conditions for teachers and students is part of the PPTA’s core business, there is no way that should have to grind to a halt because it is an election year,” he said.

The questions about the billboard were raised by Gavin Treadgold, who noted that as most parties have not issued their education policies, it may be seen as encouraging people to vote for parties that support a particular stance on education.

Mr Duff felt the suggestion was “ludicrous.
“We are campaigning for the best outcome for our members, regardless of what political party is elected. We are not going to stop doing that because of something which may or may not happen in the future”.

The electoral commission ruled that the billboard does not breach the act because it states a policy position that is not directed at the election and therefore is not an election advertisement.

ENDS