The Herald has used its front page this morning (left) to launch a full frontal assault on the Clark Government's plans to rort elections and election financing permanently in their favour, including an editorial on the Electoral Finance Bill (which restricts political speech in election year) and its companion bill (which empowers govt departments to promote the incumbent) that you simply have to read: "When is the Government going to get this message," it begins, "democracy is not a device to keep the Labour Party in power."Read it here at the Herald website, and pass it on. And then don't rest until you've exercised all the free speech you currently enjoy to knock this damn thing on the head, while you still have free speech.
UPDATE 1: National have finally confirmed that they will repeal the Electoral Finance Bill if elected. Looks like it took the Herald to finally get them over the line to make the commitment. A friend described Key's announcement as evidence he's a "fast fallower." Or as deservedly little known UK Conservative leader Andrew Bonar Law was once heard to say, "I must follow them, I'm their leader."
UPDATE 2: Notes Whale Oil this evening after a day watching The Herald collecting responses to this morning's front page:
Public Opinion was never for the Electoral Finance Bill, but neither has it been against. that is until today when the campaign against the bill went mainstream.
The Herald has over 58 pages of opinion from outside Helen’s “beltway”. She won’t like the reading of those comments.
Readers contacting the Herald newsdesk have also been almost unanimously in support of a front page editorial today which said: “democracy is not a device to keep the Labour Party in power”.
11 comments:
In other words, the Nats see political advantage in supporting it. If John Key could get votes by running naked down Queen Street he would do it. However, it wouldn't work as his advisors would spend several days over researching it.
Keith Locke has already tried the naked thing. Don't encourage any more politicians please.
What National says, doesn't mean a thing. How many things would they repeal once elected? Within months they repeal their position.
NZ deserves the EFB. They are socialist, they believe nanny state knows best, so let's go all the way.
"NZ deserves the EFB".
Ah, but I don't Berend and there's the rub. Protest your heart out while you can.
And then protest even louder when you can't. To hell with them.
I've heard rumours (on kiwiblog where else) of a protest march on Queen St on Saturday (10am).
Protest while you still can - and spread the word
About time some MSM actually ran with this - although I suspect it is the threat to their advertising revenue which finally woke up the Granny...
(2 full page ads as they put it?)
"Democracy isn't a tool to keep the Labour Party in Power."
No it isn't, that's the NZ Herald's (aka the Daily Marxist) job and they are pissy about having their turf infringed on.
Champions for free speech? Give me a break. Where are they on hate speech laws?
Champions for Liberty? Ha! Where was all this fire when all the RMA horror stories came out? Were they the first to fight for Dave Henderson?
As soon as public opinion gets too hot for Helen, she'll pull back on the Bill and the Herald will fall in behind like the happy little poodle it is.
These guys are about as pro-freedom as Robert Mugabe is.
And yet on Breakfast, even this morning (13/11) Aunty Helen's still adamant she's pushing this horrific Bill through. With even her staunchest supporters, unions, PPTA, etc against it, just what on Earth is the agenda here.
NZ truly has entered dark times indeed. Children here really can now only find freedom in the dictionary.
Mark Hubbard
The Kiwi Herald is campaigning on this issue too.
Good comment, RW.
iiq374,
If this bill passes, then it is time for all freedom loving New Zealanders to bury Helen Clark with it. As Sus says, protest even louder when you can't. Spend money and take out ads. Let Helen Clark suffer the political fallout from enforcing the wretched thing. Just what she needs to win an election.
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