7 August 2006

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Libertarianz

Clark's Pledge Card Lies

Lower Hutt businessman and Libertarianz leader Bernard Darnton today accused Helen Clark of lying to the public over her comments on the Auditor-General's report on election advertising. Darnton, who filed papers in the High Court in June suing Helen Clark over her pledge card spending, said that Helen Clark's interview with Paul Holmes on Newstalk ZB this morning "contained so much misinformation it's difficult to know where to start."

"Her first and most outrageous claim is that the 'spending is allocated to parties to promote their policies'. This is just plain wrong, wrong, wrong. The spending is allocated to parties for parliamentary business. It's to run the office, not to run for office. The rules explicitly state that parliamentary business doesn't include election advertising. Helen Clark either hasn't read the rules or thinks they don't apply to her."

Darnton continues, "She also claims that declaring the spending illegal is 'changing the rules after the event'. Again, wrong, wrong, wrong. As I said before, the rules explicitly exclude electioneering and the rules governing appropriation of public money – the Bill of Rights Act 1688 – have been on the books for three hundred years and are fundamental to the way we do government. They're the very rules that separate a democracy from dictatorship. If Helen Clark isn't aware of these rules either, or doesn't think they apply to her, she's not fit to govern."

Darnton welcomed the leaked findings of the upcoming Auditor-General's report into election spending. "I look forward to the release of the full report. So far it looks very promising. Clark and her cronies might finally be held accountable for their wrong-doing. We're waiting for the filing of her statement of defence with the High Court next week. If she thinks she can mislead the judge the same way she attempts to mislead the public the trial should be very entertaining."

More information on the case can be found at http://www.DarntonVsClark.org/

ENDS nz

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