The Electoral Finance Bill

This Bill is all about Labour and its allies the Greens, NZ First and United Future restricting campaign communications expenditure for the whole of 2008 to the same total amount spent in the three months prior to the 2005 Election together with a range of ridiculous restrictions designed to silence third party critics for the entire election year.

I joined 2000 other New Zealanders in the March against this attack on our democracy in New Zealand on Saturday November 17 in Auckland and did so again in Wellington on Wednesday. The Labour Government, together with NZ First, United Future and the Greens will push this Bill through, no doubt under urgency, when Parliament resumes in early December. We’ll continue to oppose it and propose amendments.

I will be joining in the protest march organised for this Saturday 1 December at 2:15pm down Queen Street from the Auckland Town Hall, Aotea Square. Now is the time to rise up to defend basic freedoms of thought and of political action right here in our own country. Others have before us, but today is on our watch! The Government must know that this Bill is deeply offensive to the values of this country. I urge you to join this protest march. Helen Clark dismissed the first Auckland march with 2,000 people, don’t let her do this a second time. This is a march for democracy in New Zealand.

Confirmed in Papakura I have just been confirmed as the National Party’s Candidate to stand in the Papakura Electorate for the 2008 elections. I’m looking forward to a hard fight against a Party that has shown it will stop at nothing to win. Until the election it remains my honour to be the MP for Clevedon.

Ambitious for New Zealand – Meet John Key

This morning, John Key launched a 12-minute DVD, "Ambitious for New Zealand – Meet John Key". The DVD is intended to give Kiwis a closer look at John’s life and what he stands for. In it, he talks a little about his life before politics, the things that motivate him, and his ideas for confronting some of the challenges we face as a nation. You can download and watch the DVD here or at National’s YouTube channel, www.youtube.com/user/NZNats.

Over the next few weeks, John will be travelling to around over 30 towns throughout the country to introduce himself to as many people as possible. He’ll be handing out the DVD wherever he goes.

I encourage you to tell your friends about the DVD so that they also have the opportunity to get to know John a little better.

I welcome your comments. Please email me on judith.collins@parliament.govt.nz or have your say at www.johnkey.co.nz.