Labour has been embarrassed again over political advertising with the complaints board throwing out its objections to National's ads on tax, Treasurer Bill English said today.

"The facts are that under National everyone who earns more than $200 a week will get a tax cut.

"And everyone who earns more than $200 a week will be paying more tax under a Labour-led government. It's obviously a comparison with a National-led government because there aren't any other choices.

"The Alliance also complained about this ad and about National's ads on unions. The simple truth is that neither Labour nor the Alliance want an open debate about taxes or unions because they're on the wrong side of both issues.

"Labour only took this complaint to try and deflect attention from the fact that its own ads have been shown to be deceptive because they are not based on facts.

"But National has not been intimidated and now the Advertising Standards Complaints Board has vindicated our stand by throwing out the complaints against our ads.

"Our ads are about having a robust debate on the tough issues.

"Under a Labour-led government everyone who earns more than $9,500, or $200 a week, will pay more tax.

"Under a Labour-led government if you aren't a member of a union you won't be able to negotiate a collective employment contract. That discriminates against all those workers and all those employers who have managed very well without the unions breathing down their necks and threatening strikes.

"It's time Labour faced the facts," said Mr English.

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