Wang accuses opponent of dirty tactics

Kenneth Wang with the billboard that led to Pansy Wong's complaint. Photo / Richard Robinson

Former Act MP and Botany candidate Kenneth Wang is accusing his opponent, National MP Pansy Wong, of "dirty tactics" and having a "deliberate strategy to scare voters with the possibility of two Chinese MPs" - after the Electoral Commission decided on Monday not to uphold a complaint Mrs Wong had made against his campaign.

The commission ruled that Mr Wang's billboard and pamphlet - captioned "Vote Wang, get Wang + Wong" - did not contain election advertisements in favour of the National Party within the meaning of sections 5 and 65(1) of the Electoral Finance Act.

"The slogan, vote Wang, get Wang + Wong, is a simple statement of the facts of the MMP system. There was never any substance to this complaint ... Pansy Wong is getting desperate." said Mr Wang.

"There has certainly been a fair amount of rumour and innuendo spread about me and what I have supposedly said during this campaign, none of which has been true."

National Party financial agent Mark Oldershaw complained that the slogans promoted the National Party and that neither he, nor Mrs Wong's financial agent, had authorised the advertising - which is an offence under the Electoral Finance Act.

Mr Wang has put up 30 hoardings in the electorate with the message that a vote for him would be a vote for himself and Pansy Wong to represent Botany.

He is telling voters a vote for him will get both himself and Pansy Wong because Mrs Wong is "safe" on the National Party list and would be returned even if she loses Botany.

Mr Wang needs to win the electorate seat to return to Parliament because he is not on Act's list.

Mrs Wong said yesterday that there had been two complaints made to the commission about Wang's slogans and would not comment until rulings had been made on both.