Kiwiblogblog has an interesting post of DPF’s Family First work. I’ve got a PDF of the results here. Interestingly the second to last question is:
EFFECT ON PARTY SUPPORT OF A PROPOSED LAW CHANGE
If a political party promised to change the law to state explicitly that parents who give
their children a smack that is reasonable and for the purpose of correction are not
breaking the law, would it make you:
More likely to vote for that party?
Less likely to vote for that party?
Or make no difference to your vote?
So let’s get this straight DPF is polling for Family First and asking if their issue will sway people’s vote and he’s doing so from National Party HQ. Interestingly Family First has not registered as a third party under the EFA. I’m sure there’s no collusion going on here…
April 24, 2008 at 5:57 pm
That’s what market-research companies do, though. I’m certain Curia would do work for a left-wing organisation as well, if it were paid to. That DPF has been hired to do polling for an independent lobby group is hardly surprising or cause for concern.
You seem to think that being a member of a political party means one cannot be professional in his or her job.
April 24, 2008 at 9:43 pm
‘Sod it’s really getting to the point now where someone needs to pull this man up and ask him some very tough questions regarding his site and whether it could conceivably be considered an election advertisement for National. I’ll be kind and say he once had a line, that line no longer exists.
April 25, 2008 at 8:05 pm
I don’t think it’s worth the trouble IT – every time I’ve seen him mentioned in the media he’s referred to as “national party blogger”, “National party activist” or something similar. The only place he’s not outed is on Larry Williams and I don’t imagine that will last much longer.
April 28, 2008 at 1:36 pm
“Sod it’s really getting to the point now where someone needs to pull this man up and ask him some very tough questions regarding his site and whether it could conceivably be considered an election advertisement for National.”
Yes Kiwiblog is probably an election advertisement for National. But do you really want to regulate that? Its an election advertisement for National in the same way Newzblog is an election advertisement for Labour. Do you want to be regulated?
April 29, 2008 at 12:24 pm
Are we an election advertisement for Labour? How? “A Fine Blend of Politics with a Left Twist” doesn’t limit you to Labour. I know we have one, maybe two likely Green voters onboard here. If Labour screw something up I’ll call them on it – if National screws up Davey just spins it.
DPF’s links with National are well known and to his credit he owns up to it on his disclosure statement. However those who have asked about further involvement have often been banned or mercilessly put down and abused by the KBR thugs. I’ve drawn my own conclusions through what I’ve read, James has through who he’s talked to (he’s even blogged about it) and for obvious reasons I’m going to leave it there.
April 29, 2008 at 1:52 pm
[...] that shouldn’t be hard. Family First has the money to get people out to collect names and polling data from David Farrar’s company Curia to help targeting groups. But it remains to be seen whether [...]
April 29, 2008 at 7:55 pm
Honestly, do you read DPF’s blog? He’s probably the most right wing National supporter I’ve met. He seems more like an ACT voter at heart. There are many National policies which he disagrees with and blogs on them extensively.
May 1, 2008 at 1:39 pm
gregbb: “[DPF] seems more like an ACT voter at heart.”
Greg, Not sure whether an ACT supporter would be boosting the idea of a major state-sponsored spend-up on broadbanding, but take your point about DPF generally being on the hard right of the National Party. He does seen to indulge those odious misfits that caused the Press to opine recently that, “you get the feeling that if the blogosphere was an ecosystem, the far-Right bloggers would be bottom feeders.”
Has anyone else noted that there is relatively little positive support for John Key, implicit and explicit, in DPF’s blogs? Plenty of denouncing of those making attacks on Key, but that’s not quite the same thing, is it?