Billboards attacking Green Party Co-Leader Chloe Swarbrick and MP Tamatha Paul have been displayed in Auckland and Wellington as a part of a campaign by the Sensible Sentencing Trust.
One of the billboards features a picture of Paul, who is also the Wellington Central MP next to the words “defund the police”, most likely a reference to her comments about some functions that the police undertake.
It also uses a “Vote Green” slogan similar to the party’s election campaign slogans.
The second billboard was very similar however the slogan was changed to “Woop Woop! DEFUND DA POLICE” which is undoubtedly a reference to Paul’s DJ set at CubaDupa last month where the MP used Sound of da Police by rapper KRS.
Both billboards state they were approved by Louise Parsons of the Sensible Sentencing Trust, an organisation that advocated for harsher crime policy.
“The objective of this campaign is to highlight what and who the Green Party stand for. Because it certainly is not victims.”
The Green Party have now issued claims saying the images used in the billboards breached copyright.
Parsons said she was “happy” to make the changes, but pointed to the Green Party’s bill that sought to water down copyright laws to enhance people’s ability to engage in parody.
“They want copyright laws to protect them when it suits them, just like they turn to the same police they want to abolish when they feel unsafe,” she said.
A spokesperson for the Green Party said they had contacted the advertiser about the issue but said the billboards weren’t changed until the owner of the copyright, the photographer, got involved.
Photo Credit: Newstalk ZB
