Tukituki MP says his billboards meet the rules
Taxpayer-funded billboards promoting Lawrence Yule have raised the ire of a lobby group.
The Taxpayers’ Union has filed an official complaint with the Electoral Commission and the Parliamentary Speaker’s Office over the Tukituki MP promoting himself as the “Voice in Tukituki”.
Taxpayers’ Union spokesman Louis Houlbrooke said the taxpayerfunded billboards had recently gone up in his electorate.
“This is straight-up election campaigning courtesy of hard-earned taxpayer money, which is not allowed,” he said.
Yule dismissed the claims, saying the signs have been up since the beginning of February.
“The signage has full written approval from Parliament’s Publicity Department, as being compliant,” he said. “It also has written approval from the Electoral Commission as not being an election sign.
“Lots of MPs have them up around New Zealand, including Stuart Nash in Napier, who has two under the same rules.”
An Electoral Commission spokeswoman confirmed that they had received an inquiry and were “looking into it”.
Tukituki Labour candidate Anna Lorck said what Yule does is up to him.
Lorck said she has her own billboard on show in Tukituki, in the form of a retro caravan.