NZ First's China advertisement to be investigated

Foreign Minister Winston Peters. Photo /Mark Mitchell

The Electoral Commission will consider a New Zealand First advertisement that appeared in daily papers this morning at their next meeting.

Electoral Commission spokesman Peter Northcote said a number of media organisations have contacted the commission but so far no one has lodged a formal complaint under the Electoral Finance Act.

New Zealand First today put advertisements in major daily newspapers today asking what was in the trade deal with China for New Zealand.

Mr Northcote said: "We would invite people who think that the advertisement can reasonably be regarded to encourage people to vote for or against a party to write in but we haven't had that yet."

The New Zealand First advertisements that appeared in today's papers asked: What's in it for us?

It asked readers to answer three questions concerning foreign ownership of assets, a photograph of Winston Peters and the New Zealand First Logo.

Mr Peters yesterday said there was not enough in the deal for New Zealand as it did not contain enough concessions on the Chinese side to make it worthwhile.

The next Electoral Commission meeting takes place on April 24.

- HERALD ONLINE