ACT Leader Richard Prebble says the allocation of election broadcasting funds is bizarre.

"The ACT Party is prepared to pay for its own electronic advertising but isn't allowed to," Mr Prebble said. "We are forced to accept money from the taxpayer."

Mr Prebble said the system was supported by the two main parties because it prevented parties with fresh new ideas getting access to the airwaves.

"The system supports a party like Labour that can't persuade its own members to give a dollar.

"Our system here in New Zealand equates to censorship - in other countries where there is state funding of election broadcasting, the parties are still able to buy their own advertising as well.

"Media professionals say you need around 35 prime time ads to sell any product - ACT's allocation equates to half that. It's not enough to sell soap."

ENDS

© Scoop Media

Gordon Campbell: On the Sony cyber attack

Given the layers of meta-irony involved, the saga of the Sony cyber attack seemed at the outset more like a snarky European art film than a popcorn entry at the multiplex.

Yet now with (a) President Barack Obama weighing in on the side of artistic freedom and calling for the US to make a ‘proportionate response’quickly followed by (b) North Korea’s entire Internet service going down, and with both these events being followed by (c) Sony deciding to backtrack and release The Interview film that had made it a target for the dastardly North Koreans in the first place, then ay caramba…the whole world will now be watching how this affair pans out. More>>