19 November 2007

Statement from David Thornton

The Electoral Finance Bill is a direct attack on lobby groups such as the NoMorerates.com campaign.

We are planning to make council rates a major election issue next year – and this will include our usual mass emailing type campaign.

The campaign is likely to address all political parties and we hope to convince many of those to support our main aim – a new system for funding local governemt that does not rely on council rates as the main source of income.

We plan to attack those parties who are opposed to our aims – and we will actively seek votes for those parties who support us.

If this Bill becomes law we will have to register as a ‘third party’ and be limited to what we can spend on advertising and promoting our case.

For the last four years we have maintained an active media presence in both the written and electronic media.

The media have recognised the strength of our ratepayer lobby and reported our message – but from Jan 1st the voice of that nationwide lobby will be effectively muzzled.

Ratepayer groups around the country will be similarly silenced.

This Bill must be rejected.

Otherwise genuine lobbyists for worthy and just causes will have their deomcratic right to speak out cutailed – plus have a whole lot of new buraucrtic hurdles to jump.

ENDS

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