Northern Advocate
  • Northern Advocate home
  • Latest news
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Sport
  • Property
  • Video
  • Death notices
  • Classifieds

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • On The Up
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
  • Sport
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Residential property listings

Locations

  • Far North
  • Kaitaia
  • Kaikohe
  • Bay of Islands
  • Whangārei
  • Kaipara
  • Mangawhai
  • Dargaville

Media

  • Video
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-Editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

Weather

  • Kaitaia
  • Whangārei
  • Dargaville

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • What the Actual
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Northern Advocate

Editorial: Progress in Wicked campaign

By Craig Cooper
Northern Advocate·
21 Mar, 2016 03:50 PM2 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

Dr Shane Reti.

Dr Shane Reti.

Whangarei MP Shane Reti should be miffed - apparently Associate Tourism Minister Paula Bennett is leading the charge against Wicked Campers' vans.

Dr Reti stood up in Parliament over a week ago and railed against the company, and their stupid, offensive slogans. It was essentially a stern telling off, but it was Dr Reti's telling off, not Ms Bennett's.

Dr Reti had spoken out after he responded to constituent Terry Harris' concerns. Mr Harris had spotted a campervan from Wicked Campers parked at Waipu, bearing an obscene message. It seems there is a legislative hole - the phrase was obscene enough that if you uttered it, a police officer could arrest you. Because it was written on the side of a van, police can't prosecute. And local councils aren't prosecuting either - not yet anyway.

Terry isn't the only Northlander to complain - Karen Edwards spoke out about Wicked's slogans last year. The fact that Paula Bennett is Johnny Come Lately on the Wicked bandwagon is irrelevant, as long as something gets done.

The politicians deserve credit with tackling something that has been in the 'too hard' basket for too long.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Although this isn't a new issue - where were they a year ago? Regardless of where the politicians were, let's hope a picture is building of where Wicked will end up - slithering back into the legislative hole from which it crawled out of.

Discover more

Editorial: Hate those blimmin' computers

15 Mar 03:50 PM

Editorial: Move cuts rate of teen pregnancies

16 Mar 03:50 PM

Editorial: New bill prompts concern

20 Mar 03:50 PM

Paul Brooks: Do we have to voice an opinion?

22 Mar 03:50 PM
Save

    Share this article

Latest from Northern Advocate

Northern Advocate

Far North news briefs - book DoC huts, booze views sought and mental health talks

14 May 06:00 PM
Northern Advocate

Kaitāia's Quarry Rd bridge upgrade should be finished by end of July

14 May 06:00 PM
Northern Advocate

Kerikeri forum for Northland armed forces veterans

14 May 06:00 PM

Connected workers are safer workers 

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Northern Advocate

Far North news briefs - book DoC huts, booze views sought and mental health talks

Far North news briefs - book DoC huts, booze views sought and mental health talks

14 May 06:00 PM

News snippets from the Far North.

Kaitāia's Quarry Rd bridge upgrade should be finished by end of July

Kaitāia's Quarry Rd bridge upgrade should be finished by end of July

14 May 06:00 PM
Kerikeri forum for Northland armed forces veterans

Kerikeri forum for Northland armed forces veterans

14 May 06:00 PM
On The Up: Kaitāia teen Levi Ashwell is leading the way at St John Hato Hone

On The Up: Kaitāia teen Levi Ashwell is leading the way at St John Hato Hone

14 May 06:00 PM
The Hire A Hubby hero turning handyman stereotypes on their head
sponsored

The Hire A Hubby hero turning handyman stereotypes on their head

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • The Northern Advocate e-edition
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Subscribe to the Northern Advocate
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The Northern Advocate
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • What the Actual
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven CarGuide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP