Mr Bolger suggests TV ad a political favour

Press, 22 May 1987, Page 6

Mr Bolger suggests TV ad a political favour

PA Wellington The Leader of the Opposition, Mr Bolger, yesterday suggested that TVNZ ran an advertisement as a political favour for Labour because it did not like National’s broadcasting policy. The National Party has already complained to the Auditor-General and sought legal advice over the advertisement which, he said, aimed to convince the public that the Government was rubbing out crime. Mr Bolger said the “commercial” was blatant canvassing of votes for the Labour Party using taxpayers’ money. The Broadcasting Corporation knew it was a political advertisement. He declined to clarify how the corporation indicated that it knew the advertisement was political, but said National took issue with TVNZ over it, with no satisfactory response so far. "It appears that television is in the act with the Government to promote the Labour Party.

Whether this is a reaction to the National Party’s broadcasting policy or what, I do not know,” Mr Bolger said. “The question has to be asked, what persuaded TV to run political advertisements. It has admitted they were political advertisements and one of the rationalisings of that decision could be that it doesn’t like our policy on broadcasting.” He said fund-raising efforts for the National Party were excellent “but we can’t compete with the taxpayer. The taxpayer in terms of advertising has an unlimited purse because the Government just takes more and more out of it.” The "rub the crim” advertisement was costing $117,000 a week, he told a press conference after a caucus meeting. Mr Bolger said he believed television had an obligation to look at future avertisements by the Government and look at them in a political light.

“It’s my understanding that television accepts

they are political advertisements. It is a judgment it has exercised. However, it will still run them — I don’t think any one watching them would believe other than they are political advertisements.”

In spite of the National Party’s taking legal advice, Mr Bolger ruled out seeking a legal remedy. He later said other ways of preventing “the abuse” still had to be explored.

“We never did it — that is the track record,” he said.

He also hinted at hypocrisy over the Government’s attitude in running such commercials and its stance on the Fiji coup.

“There has been a lot of talk these last seven days about democracy, the democratic principles and the right of selfdetermination,” he said. “If the Government of the day is going to use its political clout to fund advertising out of taxpayers’ pockets we are in fact distorting democracy.

“It is an abuse that strikes right at the heart of democracy.”