Sir Bob on Electoral Finance Act

Sir Bob Jones knows a few things about chucking out Governments. He helped throw out Labour in 1975 and also helped throw out National in 1984.

He may be a “rick prick” but he is not a Nat, having last voted National in 1981. Since then he has voted a mixture of Labour, ACT and NZ First.

So what does Sir Bob say on the Electoral Finance Act:

Wellington property tycoon Sir Bob Jones says he has had a “gutsful” of the Electoral Finance Act and he is thinking of testing it with an ad campaign against the Government.

But he is only allowed to place one single newspaper ad unless he registers with the Electoral Commission.

Sir Bob says robust political debate is now being stifled in this country and he has had enough.

This is something I am hearing more and more. The rules are so confusing and unclear, that people are deterred from engaging. And in fact even the parties and candidates themselves have been silenced as they are mainly petrified to spend any money until the last few weeks.

“I’m so overwhelmingly shocked that I should live to see such legislation in New Zealand. I mean, whatever happened to the free joyous participation in the political process.”

The chinless scarf wearers had to be silenced, along with anyone else who might spent money criticising the Government.

Sir Bob says he has not voted National since 1981, but he will be this time simply to punish the Government for the EFA.

He says elections used to be fun but everyone is now too scared to participate.

“This is the most despicable thing I think I have seen in my lifetime in this country, I really do, certainly by any Government… this overwhelms me. I cannot believe it happened.”

He is considering an anti-Government ad campaign to “flagrantly break the law and have them on”.

My goodness. A prosecution and trial of Sir Robert just before the election. That will be popular for the Government, won’t it.