National to Support Free Speech Suppression?

This is serious stuff.

From Scoop

The National Party will support moves announced by Helen Clark yesterday to reform electoral law, and it wants to take the plans further, says National’s Deputy Leader, Bill English.

“We are happy to support moves to outlaw third-party advertising that attacks political parties, but we want to be sure that the unions - which are the prime participants in this activity going back many elections - are included in any change, and don’t get away under any loophole like ‘worker education’.

New Zeal This is appalling. Any group or invidual should be able to say any true statement about any politician or political party at any time.

While it is true that unions propagandise for the left at every opportunity, the ethical answer is to simply remove all legal priviliges for unions and put them back on a level playing field.

If National can seriously propose limiting free speech in this manner, why do we need socialist parties to take away our freedom?

Hang your head in shame Bill English.

“Similarly, it is probably time to move to prevent anonymous political funding, but as well as curtailing people’s current rights to give through trusts, we must deal with the predominantly Labour Party practice of receiving large anonymous donations directly on a ‘no questions asked’ basis.”

New Zeal Anonymous donations are just as important as anonymous voting.

If voting were not anonymous, many people would be reluctant to vote for fear of victimisation. Voting numbers would plummet.

If anonymous donations are banned, many business and private donors will put away the chequebook for fear of victimisation and harassment by a vindictive socialist government.

The unions will still donate, so the left will have a clear advantage.

Overall, donations will drop and parties will clamour for what Labour already wants, the worst of all worlds, state funding of political parties.

As the self proclaimed party of freedom, National should be fighting this corruption, not collaborating with it.

My political party, ACT stands foursquare for freedom of speech and the freedom to spend your money where and how you see fit.