Bridges spoof is not an election ad

A Greenpeace parody website targeting Tauranga MP Simon Bridges was found to not have been an election advert. Photo / Supplied

The High Court has ruled a Greenpeace parody website targeting Tauranga MP Simon Bridges could not be considered an election advertisement.

The site was live in December but was taken down after the Electoral Commission said it was an election advertisement. The site mimicked Mr Bridges' own site but was engulfed by swirling oil as part of an ongoing campaign by the organisation against deep sea oil drilling.

The groups involved challenged the decision in the High Court, arguing that non-partisan civil society groups should not be captured by the Electoral Act.

In a decision released on Monday, Justice Cameron Mander said Greenpeace's spoof website was not election advertising as - among other reasons - it did not refer to the election. Greenpeace spokesman Steve Abel said Greenpeace was pleased their position on the Bridges parody site was "completely vindicated".

The Electoral Commission said the court declared the website was not an election advertisement as it related to Mr Bridges' role as Minister of Energy and could not reasonably be regarded as encouraging or persuading people not to vote for a candidate or party.

The Electoral Commission said they would need to carefully consider the judgment and discuss the implications of the decision further with Greenpeace and others.

Meanwhile, the High Court has declined to rule on whether Greenpeace's Climate Voter's website was election advertising but has reversed the classification of a separate Greenpeace campaign. The Electoral Commission had advised the campaign that its website was election advertising.

Mr Bridges, meanwhile, could not be contacted for comment.