The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has settled five complaints over Sensible Sentencing Trust billboards targeting Labour leader Chris Hipkins and Green Party co-leaders Marama Davidson and Chlöe Swarbrick, after the advertisements were removed.
According to a report by 1News, the billboards, displayed at selected JCDecaux locations, featured images of the three politicians alongside the words “BACKING THE GANGS” and the Greens’ slogan “for all of us”.
In a decision issued on Friday, the ASA said the trust and the media company had confirmed the advertisements "had been removed and would not be used again".
The complaints had initially been accepted for consideration by the full complaints board, which would have examined whether the advertisements breached the Advertising Standards Code. However, the chairperson ruled that the matter was settled following the removal of the billboards, 1News has reported.
“Given the advertiser and the media engaged with the process by removing the advertisement, the chair ruled the complaints were settled,” the decision said, as quoted by 1News.
As a result, the ASA did not make a finding on whether the advertisements breached its standards.
One of the five complaints was submitted on behalf of the Green Party. It said the billboards were spotted at JCDecaux sites near Stanley St and Manukau Rd in Auckland on October 24 and 25.
The party raised concerns that the advertisements used official Green Party photographs, along with “the exact font, and extremely similar layout of text and slogan”, 1News has quoted.
“The use of these specific Green Party photographs lends weight that the billboards might be considered party advertising created by the Green Party,” the complaint said, as quoted by 1News.
The Greens also argued that although the trust’s promoter statement may have met Electoral Act requirements for size, it was “hard for consumers to read and to understand this is not material authorised by the Green Party”, 1News has quoted.
“The overall impact is that the advertisements suggest the statement on the billboards ‘backing the gangs’ are a reflection of the Green Party’s policy position, even though this is not a Green Party position,” the complaint said, 1News has quoted.
The party urged the watchdog to act “the utmost urgency”, noting that advance voting had already begun. It said the advertisements could influence voters during the final weeks of the election campaign.
The ASA's decision did not include a formal response from the trust. However, national spokesperson Louise Parsons told RNZ last week that the organisation stood by the advertisements.
“The only issue that the Greens have is that we’ve used their images, so we’ll change that. But other than that, we’ve actually complied with the standards”, as quoted by 1News.
Parsons described the billboard as, “if you like, satire”.
“They’re the ones that started this. They’re the ones that put images of themselves out with the gangs,” she said.
"Are they backing away from that now? Are they saying that they don't back the gangs? Because the way we see it, and the reason we've responded, is from their actions", 1News has quoted.
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