5 September 2006

Brash lies continue

Don Brash is continuing to lie as he dodges the truth around the Exclusive Brethren debacle last year, Labour strategist Pete Hodgson said today.

"Today he’s told more lies about Labour as he attempts to deflect questions around the Exclusive Brethren," Pete Hodgson said.

“Don Brash said Labour didn’t declare the union advertising in support of Labour during last year’s campaign. In fact, we did. It was in our election return.

“What wasn’t declared was the Exclusive Brethren’s campaign in support of National. That was a $1.2 million campaign, orchestrated with Don Brash and other senior National figures, which, if it had been included, would have blown National way over their election spending cap.

"He needs to explain what advice he and his Party gave to the Exclusive Brethren which led to a paper trail between the Brethren and the Chief Electoral Office about how to get away with their $1.2 million of un-attributed spending on National's behalf.

“The National Party must also reveal the secret big money donors who financed their record-breaking 2005 election spend up.

“On Morning Report this morning, Don Brash admitted the party funnelled 90 per cent of its election campaign budget through trusts allowing big money donors to give to the Party in secret. National spent over $2 million in the 2005 election – more than double the amount spent in 2002 when they relied heavily on Parliamentary Services funding, including issuing Bill English’s pledge pamphlet to voters through its parliamentary budget.

"National offers policy concessions for donations. No New Zealander should find that acceptable. Brash should open his trusts to examination today. The public has a right to know who was behind National's 2005 election spend up.

"He also needs to explain how he can continue to call for retrospective legislation to validate National's broadcasting budget blow out and argue against plans to put new, clearer campaign finance laws on the books.

"Labour and other parties genuinely believe we followed the rules in 2005 – the same rules National used to finance its promotion of policies through billboards, pamphlets, and other means for years. National now needs to come clean about who its big money backers are – so big that it left its parliamentary kitty alone, only to directly resume political use of it after the election,” Pete Hodgson said.

ENDS

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