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New Zealand First is being accused of breaking electioneering rules after using taxpayer money to pay for advertisements about its opposition to the historic free trade deal with China.
The Electoral Commission is to review the adverts.
New Zealand First has taken out a series of newspaper adverts, paid for by the taxpayer, outlining the party's opposition to the free trade deal.
The adverts also state New Zealand First's opposition to the foreign takeover of Auckland Airport and the dairy industry.
There are claims that the adverts may breach the Electoral Finance Act. The Act says ads that try to persuade people to vote for parties must be counted as election spending and that spending is strictly limited.
Party leader Winston Peters has dismissed the possibility that the ads represent a breach of the Electoral Act.
Peters claims that his party is simply taking the opportunity to state its position on the issue, therefore the adverts are about policy and not election spending. The adverts having said New Zealand First will vote against the trade deal.
The Electoral Commission says they will look into the matter in a fortnight due to public interest.
Meanwhile, the government has played down the Minister of
Foreign Affairs' decision not to show his party's support for the
trade deal.
Prime Minister Helen Clark says that the situation is just MMP
politics and she doubts Peters' stance will offend the
Chinese.
Peters announced the decision at parliament on Tuesday afternoon,
with the ink barely dry on the much-trumpeted free trade deal which
is potentially worth half a billion dollars a year to New Zealand's
economy.
It plans to eliminate tariffs on 96% of New Zealand's current exports to China.
There's provision also for up to 1,800 skilled Chinese workers to enter New Zealand on work visas each year. The workers will not be able to stay for more than three years, nor will they be required to speak English.
New Zealand First had avoided commenting on the deal until it saw the final detail.
Peters says there is simply not enough in it for New Zealand First to support.
He says with regard to China's side of the deal, tariffs are not being phased out quickly enough, and that the benefits will not be seen for up to 17 years.
The party is also opposed to agreements with low wage economies, which they believe will risk New Zealand's manufacturing industry.
