Dave Gee: Life from Right Field

The anti-Free Speech legislation passed late last year in New Zealand by the Labour Party and its friends has claimed its first casualty.

Christhurch man Andy Moore has been forced to pull down his highly publicised anti-Government website - dontvotelabour.org.nz - after threats of legal action by the Electoral Commission.

The Commission told the 21-year old his website was classed as "election advertising", and breached election rules by not including his name and address.

"You are advised that your website (don'tvotelabour.org.nz) is election advertising and must display an authorisation statement in order to comply with the law. It is an offence not to do so."

Andy Moore says he was forced to take down his site, because he couldn't afford to hire a lawyer, or to pay the potential fine of $10,000 if he was prosecuted in court.

He was also unwilling to comply with the legal requirement to list his residential address on the website, arguing it would place his family and house as risk.

Moore's website now features an explanation of what he was forced to take down his old pages, which urged people not to vote for the Labour Party. However the new homepage does link to a general discussion forum focusing on politics.

* DontVoteLabour.org.nz website

* 29/1 UPDATE: The Electoral Commission's threats have bred two new websites... *

* A UK-based registrant has set up a copy of Andy Moore's old "Don't Vote Labour" website at a new address, www.dontvotelabour.net (I'm very intrigued see how the Commission deals with this one... Do their big brother powers stretch to London??)

* Meanwhile, Stan Blanch has launched a Don't Vote Labour Cartoons Gallery website, featuring his favourite anti-Labour political cartoons...