Act's zero tolerance for original ideas

2 November 2008

Act's zero tolerance for original ideas

While the Green Party are pleased we are so high in the polls that Act is spending its small broadcasting allocation to attack us, we'd much rather they observed their own policy of 'zero tolerance for crime', Green Party Co-Leader Jeanette Fitzsimons says.

Act have played an advert on television and on Youtube that uses the Green Party's well-known billboard image of a young girl standing in front of Rangitoto Island.

"Imitation is the highest form of flattery and this would be just funny - if it weren't for the fact that a young child's image has been used and manipulated without permission and the property rights of small New Zealand businesses have been stolen.

"The Green Party stands by the rights of Aila, her father - who took the original photo - and the New Zealand companies who own the rights to this image," Ms Fitzsimons says.

"If Act think it's ok to break the law just so they can have a go at the Green Party when they've campaigned on 'property rights' and 'zero tolerance for crime' what can New Zealand expect from Rodney in a National led cabinet?

"One message I take from this is that Act are out of ideas and have become so desperate they've resorted to nicking Green Party material. We'd sooner the other parties stuck to stealing our policies rather than ripping off the agency, the photographer and Aila," Ms Fitzsimons says.

ENDS