Don’t Vote Labour Cartoons
for more cartoons, visit http://dontvotelabourcartoons.com
Stan Blanch has set up a website which is illegal under the draconian new Electoral Finance Act. I have three questions for the Electoral Commission.
1. Why is there a difference under the law between a blog (which is a website anyway), and a website. The term “blog” is new concept - what is the Government’s guidelines on “what is a blog and what isn’t a blog”? Further, the law states that “the kind of publication commonly referred to as a blog” is exempt from the new legislation. So we have two places of doubt - 1. the definition of a blog, and 2. the vagueness surrounding the exemption (”the kind of…” and “commonly referred to…”).
2. Why is it that Stan must place his name and home address on his so-called “election advertisement”, when all he wants to do is exercise his inherent right to freedom of thought and speech? Whether he walks through the town square holding blown up versions of his cartoons, or if he places them on a website, he should be able to do so without saying who he is or where he lives.
3. If Stan were to spend $12,001 in his campaign against the Government, it is unthinkable that he should have to first register with the Government before campaigning against them. To quote Mike from Auckland,
“As an ex-Zimbabwean, people often ask how we allowed Mugabe to have so much power. I used to tell them you only realise it after the fact and it’s too late. Now I point to how Helen and Co are trying to achieve the same means. Absolute Power Corrupts Absolutely.”
If we once begin to allow the Government to restrict our speaking out against them, New Zealand is lost.