The High Court has ruled a Greenpeace parody website targeting MP Simon Bridges could not be considered an election advertisement.
The site had been taken down after the Electoral Commission said it was an election advertisement.
The site mimicked Mr Bridges' own site but was engulfed by swirling oil aspart of an ongoing campaign by the organisation against deep sea oil drilling.
Greenpeace spokesperson Steve Abel said Greenpeace was very pleased their position on the Bridges parody site was completely vindicated.
The Electoral Commission released a statement and said the Court declared the website was not an election advertisement as it related to Mr Bridges' role as Minister of Energy and could not reasonably be regarded as encouraging or persuading people not to vote for a candidate or party.
The Electoral Commission said they would need to carefully consider the judgment and discuss the implications of the decision further with Greenpeace and others.
