Politics Blog
National celebrates another ASA win... with a stretch
National is once again claiming an Advertising Standards Authority ruling has proved its claims correct.
The ASA declined to uphold a series of complaints regarding prominent campaign billboards that claim a Labour coalition would introduce nine new taxes, while National would introduce one.
The ASA declined to uphold a series of complaints regarding prominent campaign billboards that claim a Labour coalition would introduce nine new taxes, while National would introduce one.
The complainants argued it was not a truthful representation because Labour is only campaigning on one new tax - a capital gains tax.
But the ASA found that the billboard was National's forward-looking opinion on other parties’ tax policies, and a factual claim about its own tax one.
The billboard was sufficiently clear in attributing nine taxes to a coalition, rather than just Labour, they found.
In response, National's campaign chair Simeon Brown took to social media.
"The Advertising Standards Authority has confirmed Labour and their mates want to impose 9 new taxes onto kiwis," he wrote. "Party Vote National for No New Taxes!"
This could be seen as a stretch - the ASA confirmed the nine new taxes claim was a "forward-looking opinion" - not a factual claim.
The National Party previously claimed to have won before the ASA over its messages that Labour's capital gains tax would apply to businesses.
The ASA did not uphold that part of the complaint, as a majority thought it was unlikely to mislead or confuse most consumers.
But the ASA found that the billboard was National's forward-looking opinion on other parties’ tax policies, and a factual claim about its own tax one.
The billboard was sufficiently clear in attributing nine taxes to a coalition, rather than just Labour, they found.
In response, National's campaign chair Simeon Brown took to social media.
"The Advertising Standards Authority has confirmed Labour and their mates want to impose 9 new taxes onto kiwis," he wrote. "Party Vote National for No New Taxes!"
This could be seen as a stretch - the ASA confirmed the nine new taxes claim was a "forward-looking opinion" - not a factual claim.
The National Party previously claimed to have won before the ASA over its messages that Labour's capital gains tax would apply to businesses.
The ASA did not uphold that part of the complaint, as a majority thought it was unlikely to mislead or confuse most consumers.
Brown claimed this "confirmed that Labour's claim that small businesses are exempt from its capital gains tax is false" - which Labour denied.