Are National’s ads fake news?

Part of being a good Opposition is attacking when you see the opportunity, then making hay while the sun shines. National has been ramping up its attack ads ahead of the Government’s first Budget next week.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern is calling National out for fake news – but National is crying foul and accuses Labour of similar tactics.

The meme that has launched the latest war of words is a National Party ad claiming the Government would spend $1 billion on funding foreign diplomats, at the expense of cheaper GP visits.

National’s social media has been heavily populated with memes and short videos opposing other Government policies.

National is in the enviable position of having plenty left in its coffers after a strong round of donations for last year’s election – almost $4.6 million – which gives it the ability to spend on ads and memes to appeal to voters.

The ads put a negative spin on things like taxes and the Government’s slew of working groups – topics National has consistently challenged Labour on.

More than 94,000 people like National’s Facebook page, and about 15,500 people follow it on Twitter. There will be some crossover between the different platforms but the party has a massive reach across the country and is helped here by its youth wing – the Young Nats – which usually shares the party’s posts.

So far, so normal if you’re the Opposition. However, some of the ads are more than misleading, they’re factually incorrect.

The term ‘‘fake news’’ – the spreading of propaganda or misinformation – has gained notoriety thanks to United States President Donald Trump, who has repeatedly called out media outlets, including CNN, for publishing news he disagrees with.

National’s latest meme, relating to the Government’s foreign affairs and aid spending, was posted on the party’s Facebook page. It read ‘‘$1 billion for diplomats vs cheaper GP visits’’ and showed pictures of Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters and Ardern.

On Tuesday, Peters announced almost $1b for foreign affairs and aid over the next four years. In reality, only $150.4m of that will go towards the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade’s operational expenditure. The bulk – $714.2m – is for aid and development, mostly in the Pacific.

‘‘We are not spending a billion dollars on diplomats,’’ Ardern said. ‘‘What they’ve said there is absolutely incorrect.’’

But National knows the tactic of saying this money comes at the expense of much-needed healthcare will play well with voters.

Some might say: ‘‘That’s just politics’’, and largely they’d be right.’’

Labour has spoken extensively about how the former National Government underfunded, even ‘‘neglected’’, hospitals and schools. But, as National points out, it actually boosted funding for school property to $5b in 2008, and in 2017 it allocated another $4b.

National points to other examples of Labour’s Facebook campaigns, including a fake text conversation between then-leader Bill English and Social Housing Minister Amy Adams about how they would deal with their housing announcement and how they could fudge the numbers.

Clearly, no political party has the monopoly on circulating misleading messages.