Labour spent $1m more than National to lose 2023 election
The Labour Party spent $1 million more on advertising than the National Party at the 2023 election, records published by the Electoral Commission reveal.
Publicly declared party expenses for the election campaign, published by the commission yesterday, show the Labour Party - which resoundingly lost the election - spent a total of $3.51m whereas the National Party spent $2.55m.
The ACT Party spent more than National, declaring $2.77m in expenses. NZ First spent $1.51m on a campaign which returned them to Government alongside National and ACT, whereas the Green Party spent $1.33m on a campaign that achieved wins in key electorate seats.
Te Pāti Māori was the lowest spender of parties that entered Parliament, spending $98,700 on the campaign. The Opportunities Party, or TOP, which was again unsuccessful spent more than Te Pāti Māori, $118,500 in total.
Political parties were required by law to record and declare expenses on advertising and broadcasting for the three months leading up to the October 14, 2023 election. Parties are limited in how much they can spend — $1.38m per parties and $32,600 for each electorate candidate. The records show no party that declared their expenses overspent the limit.
What parties spent money on can reveal aspects of their campaign strategy. Labour ran a broad-spectrum campaign, spending $115,300 on posting mailers, more than $170,000 on Facebook adverts, some $141,000 for corflute hoardings, and $143,870 on one high-end event production firm.
For a brief campaign event at which Labour leader Chris Hipkins launched the party’s Rainbow strategy, entertainer Anita Wigl’it was paid $575. Outrageous Fortune actor Tammy Davis was paid $74,750 to voice Labour Party adverts.
The National Party appeared to run a more digital-focused campaign, with less money spent on mailers, though more than $250,000 was spent on hoardings and stickers for the roadside billboards.
It spent $258,000 on digital content firm Big on Writing for creative work, production of advertising across TV, radio, print, and outdoor, as well as for music and translation work. It paid Topham Guerin, a New Zealand advertising firm which has also worked with centre-right parties in Australia and the United Kingdom, more than $200,000.
The ACT Party spent considerable sums on fund-raising campaign firm Lever Communications, strategic communications firm Launchpad, and advertising company Adworx. ACT also spent what it labelled East Asian and South Asian campaign costs, advertising to such communities through the likes of the Korea Post and the Indian News.
The Green Party, which eschews plastic corflute hoardings more than most parties, spent instead on Phantom Billstickers, which hang paper billboards across the country. Digital marketing agency Reason Group was paid for advert placed, with more than $100,000 going to adverts on TVNZ, and $50,000 to YouTube.
NZ First advertising spend appeared to favour traditional media, including smaller local newspapers such as the Wellington Suburban News, the Waitomo News, and the Wairarapa Times Age. The party spent $172,500 on digital billboards.