Bob Jones
We claim to be a democracy in which equal participation in the political process is open to everyone. It’s simply not true and has never been.
Huge financial advantages lie with existing Parliamentary Parties, notably in travel expenses used for campaigning in election years, paid by the taxpayer plus diverse other ways, not available to proposed new parties.
One reason the NZ Party only two years after formation, managed a 12½% election support in 1984 is it was largely a middle-class revolt, thus was able to match advertising expenditure by the Nats and Labour, its membership comprising financially comfortable professionals and the like.
That was unusual and to the best of my knowledge peculiar to it in the post-war era.
Another significant advantage open to abuse is free postage for MPs to write to their electorates’ citizens. Conversely, the public can write to their MPs at Parliament without paying postage.
But, the rules on this are strict, such communications to be confined to notification of planned meetings and the like for constituents to air their concerns.
I’m in Chris Bishop’s electorate and regularly receive such missives from him. He sticks to the straight and narrow, advising of his access at various meetings over tea and coffee to hear concerns.
That’s as the scheme was intended albeit one can still argue this well meant process still provides a publicity advantage.
That said, recently I received a tax-payer-paid letter from Chris Hipkins. He is not my electorate MP thus I suspect it’s been sent to every Coneland household. It comprises blatant electioneering and is a gross abuse of this privilege.
For this, he should be prosecuted and subject at the least, if not to a fine, then a bill for the massive postage cost.
There’s only one word for this and that is corruption.
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