Why the coyness? Just tell us straight that you favour criminal laws to prevent us saying whatever we want to say.
Hell, why not abandon the pretence entirely and declare a state of emergency? Then you can suspend this irritating free speech stuff entirely. Just don’t patronise us by saying that these restrictions are for our own good, eh?

Oh and when i get in i`ll pass a law that everyone has to become a Exclusive Brethren !! ….Beat that ! Helen Clarke …….

Yeah i mean how the heck is my group the Clu Clux Clan and the marfia that we are affiliated with ever gonna have a chance to change things for how we want it to be .Without having the chance to run a totally ANONYMOUS campaign with plenty of money .Let us run our campaigns how we wish !! .

To my understanding:

Subsection 100 - provides a wide definition of election advertising, incorporating any display of election related material. A mass political protest movement giving voice to a political opinion is unlikely to be sustained on less than $60,000 (103-1,b). Also no single protest could cost no more than $2000 as that is the maximum for any particular electorate (103 -1,a).

Participation of non-electors (minors or non-NZ citizens) or registered party members/candidates in etectoral advertising (eg. street protest) would render the third party organising the event illegitimate (14).

Question - What about property damage if occuring at a venue of a protest, if claims (over $2000) were upheld would these be evidence of illegitimate electoral practice?

thank you..

phil(whoar.co.nz)

Still with you on your suggestion. If dpf does take it to his blog that is surely a good thing. It might persuade more people to accept the idea.

I note with interest the silence from the other Greens, Jeanatte and Nondor in particular, regrading support for this bill.

Are they wholeheartedly in favour?
And if so why are they not trumpetting this loudly from the ramparts?

Or are we seeing a split in the Greens. (Nandor more concerned about his computor crashes then this debate - I doubt that somehow).

So if this bill is rammed through lets look at some of the consequences.

1. Illegal electioneering advertising will run rampant and without extra Police and court resources, will go unpunished.

2. Some groups like Greenpeace will deliberately (on say the anti GE issue) break the electioneering limits just to get a prosecution before the courts.

3. Once before the courts all sections of the media will be able to report on the court case promoting the message even wider (free and unlimited promotion for the cause).

4. This will have a snowballing effect where other third parties will do likewise with dubious doubly meaning adverts (e.g. “Helengrad, the new but just like the old, Moscow”) - (those from the Muldoon era will remember the dancing cossacks adverts, subliminal advertising but is it electioneering?)

5. At an indivudual level expect to see much greater (as phil suggest) civil disobience. Again this will go unpunished as the resources wont be avialable (the Police cant track a tagger now - what makes you think they will be able to nab a political activist?).

One could go on with a load of examples of how easily the intent of this bill is surpasses. This bill will be ignored by the general populace, mainly because enforcement (except for a few probably intented cases) will be impossible.

No, BJ’s idea has it right and most importantly has a sense of fair play about it that most people can agree with. It makes just so much common sense.

Russel and toad still haven’t addressed the issue of what constitute government electioneering versus government advertising new policy innitiatives (WFF as an example at the last election).

How will that be regulated as a balance against political opposition party spending limits?

Those questions I posed to you earlier Russel and you did not address, have been answered by a right wing lawyer on another blog, cheers.

phil(whoar.co.nz)

a new outlet for individual creativity..eh..?

i pledge..on whoar..

to feature/repeat the best of them..

of course..humour will get bonus points/cred..

and funny thing is..

tho’ i have railed long and hard against this law..

i have long known i will be favored by this legislation..

cos’ they won’t be able to shut me up..

(for a variety of reasons..)

and so people will turn to the likes of me for political news/analysis/opinion..on the spin..

and..of course..other political blogs/online forums will flourish..

new political parties will flourish..

you only need 500 registered members..

(how does the ‘whoar political party’ sound..?

it has no leaders..

and a general policy of (seeking out and) saving the nation from the ravages of bullshit..?

wherever it may be found..?..

and of course..the repealing of this poxy legislation..)

and as i do news..

i will be able to report on what is being said..on those other blogs..

in those other forums..

messages/political dialogue will out..!

phil(whoar.co.nz)

a new outlet for individual creativity..eh..?

i pledge..on whoar..

to feature/repeat the best of them..

of course..humour will get bonus points/cred..

and funny thing is..

tho’ i have railed long and hard against this law..

i have long known i will be favored by this legislation..

cos’ they won’t be able to shut me up..

(for a variety of reasons..)

and so people will turn to the likes of me for political news/analysis/opinion..on the spin..

and..of course..other political blogs/online forums will flourish..

new political parties will flourish..

you only need 500 registered members..

(how does the ‘whoar political party’ sound..?

it has no leaders..

and a general policy of (seeking out and) saving the nation from the ravages of bullshit..?

wherever it may be found..?..)

and as i do news..

i will be able to report on what is being said..on those other blogs..

in those other forums..

messages/political dialogue will out..!

phil(whoar.co.nz)