I have been contacted by the PPTA in response to my Helen No-mates post. The PPTA wanted to clarify that they are no friend of Helen Clark or indeed Labour. This is astounding but nonetheless that is what they have done. Here is the email text (I edited the name and phone numbers).
Greetings from the Post Primary Teachers’ Association
While some teacher unions may support particular political parties, PPTA membership votes across the political spectrum and it is not in PPTA’s interests to be aligned to or affiliated with any political party, nor has it ever been. <> . I have attached the PPTA president’s viewpoint from the latest PPTA News which may be of interest to you.
Regards
XxxxxxxXxxxxx Xxxxxx
Research Analyst / Web co-ordinator
Tel: +XX X XXX-422X
Post Primary Teachers’ Association Te Wehengarua
I have included the Presidents newsletter (PDF 368k) so you can see exactly what I mean. They are trying very hard to appear to distance themselves from Labour, nevertheless they supported the provisions of the Electoral Finance Act and went further and suggested that the public fund political parties totally, exactly the position that Labour wants. Although it tries very hard they cannot but be seen to be toadies and lackeys to a union and teacher dominated Labour Party. They are only now finding out that the EFA has essentially prevented them from having a say because every party has a position on Education and inevitably whatever the PPTA says will be either for or against one or more of those parties stated positions. A word of warning to the PPTA, you think you don’t have to register, nor do you want to register as a third party, but your reasoning doesn’t assist you just becasue you don’t want to align with any party. You may only spend $12,000 and before you spend even one cent more than that you must register as a third party. Your image of a billboard would also be considered and Election advertisement under the Act and as such would require an authorisation statement and the name and home address of your appointed financial agent. If you are planning to run billboards again your $12,000 will get you about three of them….oh bugger….tell me now your freedom of speech hasn’t been affected.
Now don’t get me wrong Mr PPTA President, I want you to be able say whatever YOU want and spend YOUR members hard earned cash whatever whay YOU want, but unfortunately the government that you tacitly support doesn’t think anyone should be able to do exactly that. That makes it a bummer for you.
UPDATE: Fixed link to pdf.
