16 September 2005

Anderton Wants Answers Over Dirty Tricks Campaign

Progressive leader Jim Anderton is asking the National Party to confirm that none of its members are behind a dirty tricks leafleting and advertising campaign being conducted in his Wigram electorate.

"I am always disappointed by under-hand, misleading pamphlets and advertisements because it makes it harder for the public to make informed voting decisions.

"Voters deserve to hear directly from candidates and parties themselves what they stand for and what they believe in.

"The very costly campaign of misinformation, which includes local newspaper advertisements in the Christchurch Star, had to have been paid for but the problem is that the address of the person who authorized the advertisements is an empty house.

"It is illegal to defame competitors in an electoral contest.

"The law requires that all political advertisements which are designed to influence voters' voting intentions clearly identifies who authorized the campaign and what organization that person belongs to," Jim Anderton said.

"Given the news that the Exclusive Brethren Church is funding a half a million dollar campaign designed to aid the National Party and to hurt the Progressive and Labour parties, which Don Brash was aware of in advance, I would like Don Brash to tell the people of Wigram today, before they vote, whether any National Party members, or National allies in the fundamentalist church, knew of this campaign or had anything to do with it," the Progressive leader said.

Jim Anderton is currently taking legal advice as to whether or not complaints should be made to the Police or the Electoral Commission.

ENDS

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