Wednesday, September 11, 2013



Why is CERA promoting John Key?

A politically neutral public service is one of the basics of our constitution. The public service is not a tool for the promotion of the government of the day, but a tool to provide professional advice to them and their successors. We take this so seriously that advertising campaigns promoting policy are seen as dubious, and the idea of a government department openly endorsing a particular party or politician is utterly beyond the pale. So why the hell is CERA using its social media feeds to pimp John Key and the National Party?

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And this isn't the only time. Their Twitter and Facebook pages are full of it. You'd almost get the impression that they were working towards Key's re-election, rather than for the people of Christchurch...

While I expect public agencies to promote relevant statements by their Minister, they should do so in a neutral fashion. And they should not be posting or disseminating politically branded material under government imprimatur.