30 May 2008

The Electoral Finance Act & Granny Herald

One wonders if, under the Electoral Finance Act, the Granny Herald should be registered as an interested third party under the act seeing that its editorial policy and consistent pro National, worship at the shrine of St. John advocacy of vote national would appear to indicate that the company owning this hollow vessel is engaging in a campaign to urge the public to change the government.
The Company, which under the latest ruling about the status of the EPMU as a registered third party, obviously exists as an individual is spending more than $120,000 in its unabashed campaign against the present government should, in the interests of transparency, be registered under the EFA or, perhaps, the entire production and distribution costs of every edition of the Granny Herald which advocates support of the National Party should be put against the election spending by the National Party?
One could argue that the Granny Herald's consistent use of emotive labeling of Government expenditure as part of a "porkometer" - a label which implies that all government expenditure on infra- structural investment, on the provision of health, education, police, justice, housing, welfare and other support agencies is to be seen as self serving, self interested payment to selected target voting groups to buy votes - should be seen as deliberate advocacy to support the national party in this up-coming election.
One wonders if, in the interests of ensuring a fair and unbiased reporting of the election and the differing party policies by what is, across much of the North Island, is a monopoly the EFA should be applied to Granny Herald.

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