How CTU differs from Exclusive Brethren

"There are fundamental differences between the clearly branded CTU election publications and the Exclusive Brethren leaflets with their false addresses and defamatory attacks on the Greens and Labour," said CTU president, Ross Wilson. He was responding to the complaint by the National Party to the Chief Electoral Officer.

"This is clearly a diversionary tactic by the National Party," Ross Wilson said.

"This is a difficult area of the law but we have had advice from the Chief Electoral Officer."

Ross Wilson outlined the fundamental differences between the CTU and the Exclusive Brethren.

? Firstly, the CTU is the largest democratic organisation in New Zealand and is the public voice for more than 300,000 working people. The Exclusive Brethren is a small and extreme religious sect which supposedly eschews political activity.

? Secondly, the CTU has been open and transparent about its advocacy. The Exclusive Brethren have been covert and secretive.

? Thirdly, the emphasis in CTU publications is on factual information about political party policies to inform workers about their voting choices. The Exclusive Brethren are distributing factually inaccurate leaflets telling other people how to vote when they do not vote themselves.

"The CTU asserts the right for workers to participate collectively in democratic processes and draw attention to policies which political parties are trying to hide," Ross Wilson said.

"Mr McCully is clearly concerned that our CTU publications are exposing the National Party's industrial relations policies to hundreds of thousands of New Zealanders."

"His desperate complaint indicates that they won't like what they read."