One of the demonstrators in Saturday's March for Democracy down Queen St. Photo / Kenny Rodger

One of the demonstrators in Saturday's March for Democracy down Queen St. Photo / Kenny Rodger

A rare intervention into political commentary by the Prime Minister's husband, Peter Davis, has been condemned by National as showing the Clark household is out of touch with New Zealand.

Dr Davis, a sociology professor at the University of Auckland, wrote a letter strongly condemning the Herald's series on the Electoral Finance Bill.

Professor Davis said the last time he had seen the Herald so exercised about free speech was when the newspaper unsuccessfully opposed restrictions on tobacco advertising.

"The Electoral Finance Bill does not diminish 'free' speech," Professor Davis wrote in the Weekend Herald.

"It restricts speech that is 'purchased' through advertising - and only in an environment that is electorally sensitive.

"I would be concerned if 'free' speech was being constrained but limits on the rights to 'purchase' speech are justified to protect our democracy from money politics, although I can see it might hurt the Herald's bottom line."

National deputy leader Bill English said Professor Davis' letter was a case of someone shooting the messenger.

"Professor Davis supports Labour's grab for tens of millions of taxpayer money to win the election at the same time as heavily restricting anyone else who wants to take part in politics," Mr English said.

"It is the Labour Government which will be able to purchase advertising on a massive scale to push its policies, yet anyone who wants to run a cake stall is treated with suspicion and hemmed in with new and complicated rules."

Helen Clark today said she did not know of the letter until she read it in the Herald.

She told TV One: "He doesn't need my permission to do it, the first I knew about it was when I opened the Herald on Saturday.

"I am left wondering whether Bill English would bother issuing a press statement about any other letter to the Herald, and I think it's a bit rich for someone who constantly complains whenever his family is brought into the limelight."

Professor Davis rarely becomes involved in politics, but last year was dragged into the centre of the political stage after newspapers and Investigate magazine published articles about his private life.