Both Eyes Open
Media release UPDATE 5 November 2008

Stephen Franks tries to justify destruction of posters

Stephen Franks has given two replies to the discovery that his campaign team have been pulling down his opponents' poster in Wellington Central. Neither go anywhere to justifying his actions.

First, he told reporters that our posters are dishonest. Everyone in politics disputes the truth and fairness of their opponents statements, but the essence of freedom of speech is that everyone gets to have their say. Franks is suggesting that when he thinks something is wrong, he can censor others.

In fact, our poster (attached) is about a factual matter, Frank's promotion of a change to human rights legislation in 2005. If he thinks we got it wrong, he should debate the point in public. We suspect he prefers not to discuss what he did at all.

Second, he told reporters that his team has been removing posters from places where they weren't supposed to be. However, his campaign team have been removing every single poster critical of Franks and National wherever they are placed, whether on public or private sites. Franks has no right to set himself up as the poster police.

ENDS

© Scoop Media

Gordon Campbell: On The Government's Assault On Maori

This isn’t news, but the National-led coalition is mounting a sustained assault on Treaty rights and obligations. Audrey Young in the NZ Herald has compiled a useful list of the many ways Christopher Luxon plans to roll back the progress made in race relations over the past forty years. He has described yesterday’s nationwide protests by Maori as “pretty unfair.” Poor thing. More