KEY POINTS:
WHAT IS IT: A 50-page booklet described as an "information kit for the over 60s".
DISTRIBUTED BY: Labour Party MPs, although a parliamentary crest indicates it has been paid for by taxpayer-funded Parliamentary Services.
WHAT IT SAYS: Bearing the name and photograph of the MP sending it, the
booklet contains practical information, but also details successful Labour policies.
COST: 64,000 pamphlets have been produced, at a cost of $58,000. So far, 36 of Labour's 49 MPs are understood to have sent out the booklets, including Mt Roskill MP Phil Goff, who has produced 4000 at 91 cents each, for a total of $3640. Postage and a covering letter included with the pamphlet are also taxpayer funded.
WHAT'S THE PROBLEM: National says Labour is contravening the Electoral Finance Act by using taxpayer funds to finance the pamphlets. The Chief Electoral Officer cleared the literature, which carries no Labour crest, or colours.
WHAT THE MPs SAY:
"[It is] a manipulation of the law so they can get their names and photographs in front of voters in a period very close to the election." - National MP Gerry Brownlee
"[It is] a much more useful and helpful way of getting information out there, and I will be keeping on doing this." - Labour MP Darren Hughes
"A key role of the state is the provision of information to senior citizens, university students, mums and dads. Rest assured, that booklet has only valuable, neutral information." - Labour MP Shane Jones
WHAT THE EXPERTS SAY:
"[The pamphlet does not] contain words or graphics that could reasonably be regarded as encouraging or persuading voters to vote, or not to vote, for a candidate." - Chief Electoral Officer Rob Peden
"If they had used the word 'Labour' or they'd even used the colour red, that may have fallen foul of election spending rules." - Otago University legal expert Andrew Geddis
"Looks suspiciously like an election advertisement in drag." - John Armstrong, Herald columnist
WHAT YOU SAY:
"The thousands of dollars expended on this promotion doesn't have to fit inside Labour's campaign budget because the party is happy to break the spirit of their own Electoral Finance Law to get re-elected. Fortunately, the vast majority of our senior citizens will be smart enough to see through Labour's latest ploy - but what a waste of public money in these times of financial crisis." - Deborah Penk, Glen Eden
"Just Labour doing what it does best, stealing taxpayers' money to fund its electioneering!" - Peter, Tauranga
"In theory, I guess it's perfectly legitimate due to the fact that Labour changed the electoral laws to suit its own agenda and muzzle its opponents. In reality, it's disgusting." - Rob, Central Auckland
"It should be counted against the MPs spending caps. The Government's conduct close to the election is reprehensible." - Kevin O'Brien, Greenacres
"To everyone but Labour supporters, it is just part of their election campaign, otherwise it would have been released earlier in the year, when [Progressives MP Jim] Anderton had the idea." - Richard, Timaru
"It's legal, but this underhand tactic by Clark proves that she is not a valued leader as some leftie commies make her out to be." - 'Hawkeye Pierce', Ohakune
