Anna Lorck defends election billboards after complaints laid

Labour Tukituki candidate Anna Lorck is defending her election billboards after complaints were laid to the Advertising Standards Authority. Photo/ Duncan Brown

Labour's Tukituki candidate, Anna Lorck, has come under fire after complaints were laid against her election billboards.

The Advertising Standards Authority has received two complaints about the statement "Your Local MP" because Ms Lorck is not the local MP.

But Ms Lorck said the message on her billboards was about asking people to vote for her as their local MP, because it read "Vote Anna Lorck for Tukituki Your Local MP Here for You".

She said there may be some people who could have thought she was the MP.

"I have been out there doing MP things, leading on the local issues, holding meetings, while Tukituki MP Craig Foss has been nowhere to be seen."

Mr Foss said getting nasty and attacking him was a cheap but misguided shot given that he was not standing, and therefore not campaigning.

"When a defeated, and now unelected candidate uses the term 'your local MP', it is morally and factually wrong. Andrew Little does not have billboards saying 'your PM'!"

Earlier Ms Lorck said the complaints highlighted the real point of difference her opposition National candidate Lawrence Yule couldn't match.

"I am proud to be local and call me old fashioned but to be an effective and strong MP you need to actually live in the electorate."

"Of course Lawrence Yule's team is upset by my billboard message to voters that I'm the only option to elect an MP who's local."

Mr Yule said he had more important things to focus on but thought her comment about him not living in the electorate was "ridiculous".

"A lot of MPs don't live in their electorate, John Key never did, it is not about where you live it is about how good you are, the experience you have and how you represent the community."

When approached for comment, Tukituki Greens candidate Chris Perley said the complaints were "nonsense".

"Anna should come out and say yes it was a bit cheeky not turn it around on the fact that Yule is from Napier."

"Anna has replied to a petty thing with a petty answer, we should be focusing on the serious issues facing the electorate and country, not playing games," Mr Perley said.

Ms Lorck said she was happy to work alongside the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) to make her local message "bigger, brighter and clearer".

"I am proud to be local so I will do everything I can to make my message bolder in the next week."

An ASA spokeswoman said it was looking into the complaints and was at the start of the complaints board decision process.

"If the complaint is accepted by the complaints board chairman and there is a possible breach of codes then the advertiser will be asked to respond before a decision is made."

If after this process the advertising has been amended to comply then the complaint is settled but if not the complaint is adjudicated by the board.