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Late last month the Minister of Justice announced plans to set up a special government unit to combat misinformation and manipulation in the lead up to next year’s General Election when two controversial referenda will be held. Andrew Little wants a team from within his own Ministry to “fact-check” information relating to the legalisation of cannabis and voluntary euthanasia.

This development could be a chapter out of George Orwell’s novel, 1984 – akin to the establishment of a ‘Ministry of Truth’ – given the State Services Commission and the Cabinet manual make it quite clear that government officials are there to follow the instructions of their Minister (Big Brother) and deliver government policy.

Minister Little says that his officials can be trusted to be non-partisan – Yes Minister, of course they can Minister – but his motives are being questioned.

This week’s NZCPR Guest Commentator, leading political broadcaster Mike Hosking is scathing about Andrew Little’s plan, likening it to the sort of system you would expect to find in a communist regime:



“Looks like Andrew Little has already dug himself into a hole over his hare-brained scheme to monitor, and somehow regulate, our views and opinions next year when it comes to votes on weed, euthanasia and the government itself.

“The first and obvious red flag was his desire to have his own ministry do the job. What’s the first rule of good oversight when it comes to government operations? Independence.

“What is independent about a government department? And what’s independent about a ministry overseen by the minister who wants the regulations in place?

“It’s the sort of system you’d expect in North Korea and China.”

The Minister explained it would be the first time core public servants have taken on such a role. While the Electoral Commission would be responsible for looking after the nuts and bolts of running the referenda, Andrew Little’s justice team would manage public information, websites, respond to public queries and have a monitoring role.

The Minister wants his unit to actively police what is said and written so they can direct voters towards information they deem to be ‘reliable’. Special Government websites would be set up featuring what he describes as “independently prepared information relevant to the issues”. Advertising and marketing campaigns would be run as part of the mix.

The Minister says that if someone claims to have a highly authoritative piece of research, his unit would check it to ensure that it’s “not some sort of highly partisan, highly sceptical or dubious piece of information”. They will also be monitoring social media and other platforms to hunt down those posting “misleading” information.

Don’t underestimate the scope for this unit to influence the democratic process. Why should we trust the Minister or his officials to be impartial. Mr Little is, after all, a politician, and his officials serve him.

What oversight will there be regarding the activities of his censorship team and who will monitor what information is being approved and declined?

Most importantly, who will determine what is misleading information? Minister Little? Will he be the referee in a game where he has a vested interest in the outcome?

The question of who will monitor the Minister’s agency is an important one. Given the highly controversial nature of both referenda, the public need to be assured that the information unit is not pushing the government’s preferences by supressing opposing views?

If it is the Minister’s role to monitor his staff, what’s to stop the Ministry of Truth from becoming the Ministry of Lies and muzzling those who wish to take a contrary view to the Government’s position.

Indeed, if the Minister’s scheme goes ahead, Mike Hosking warns Andrew Little “every time a controversial decision is made in a debate like this – and let’s be honest every decision will be controversial – you’ll be accused of yet more controversy that a state department is gerrymandering a state-run vote and manipulating what is said, and by whom.”

The 2020 election will not be the first time that two referenda have been held on election day in New Zealand. The last time was in 1999 when voters were asked whether they wanted the number of MPs reduced from 120 to 99, and whether they wanted the government to get tough on crime.

They didn’t need a government censorship bureau to control the flow of referendum information – they were quite capable of deciding for themselves.

In other words, the existing system of checks and balances was quite adequate in ensuring voters received sufficient information to decide how to cast their referendum votes.

At the present time three main agencies monitor published information in New Zealand to ensure it is within the law and abides by community standards. The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) is an industry body that has jurisdiction over all advertising content in the media. The Broadcasting Standards Authority is an independent statutory authority that controls programme content on radio and television. And the Media Council is an industry body which has oversight over editorial content in printed media, broadcast journalism, and websites.

During an election period the official scrutiny of political information intensifies. While the Electoral Commission sets out the rules for the registration of advertisers and promoters, their spending limits, and authorisation requirements, those other bodies are responsible for monitoring and regulating the content of political messaging.

To be clear, while it appears as though the role of Mr Little’s Ministry of Truth will be limited to the 2020 election referenda, concerns are being raised about whether this signals the beginning of New Zealand’s Big Brother. Especially as the Minister of Justice appears to want his information unit to replace the role of the ASA.

There is speculation that the catalyst for Andrew Little’s plan was the loss of a complaint he had made to the ASA against his political rival Nick Smith. The National MP had written an opinion advertisement in his local Nelson newspaper criticising the Government over the Pike River mine re-entry. As the Minister Responsible for the Pike River Re-entry, Andrew Little challenged the facts in the article through a complaint to the ASA. But after investigating the case, the ASA decided in Nick Smith’s favour.

The long and short of it is that the ASA investigated the Minister’s allegations and, satisfied with the explanations provided by Nick Smith, ruled in his favour, stating that “in a free and democratic society, differences of political opinion should be openly debated without undue hindrance or interference from authorities such as the Complaints Board, and in no way should political parties, politicians, lobby groups or advocates be unnecessarily fettered by a technical or unduly strict interpretation of the rules and regulations.”

The decision is important because it recognises that in politics a certain amount of licence should be given to lubricate debate.

But Minister Little described the ruling as “ridiculous”, claiming it would have a detrimental effect on democracy: “The concerning thing is, a year out from the next general election where there will be political advertisements… if we can’t have the ASA upholding a standard that means you can’t lie or state things that are factually untrue, then that is very disturbing for our democracy. Unfortunately the ASA has now held itself up as an authority that is prepared to tolerate lies in advertising.”

This has now led to accusations that a very bad case of sour grapes is what is driving the Minister’s plan to side line the ASA and set up his own agency. In other words, he did not get his way so he now wants to rewrite the rules, so his way is the only way.

On its website the ASA highlights the importance of Section 14 of the Bill of Rights Act 1990, which guarantees our right to the freedom of expression – just so long as that right does not infringe on the rights of other people. It explains that as a body, it strives to uphold the freedom of expression as far as possible: “People have the right to express their views and this right should not be unduly or unreasonably restricted by Rules”.

The ASA believes that robust debate in a democratic society is to be encouraged by the media and advertisers and that advertising Codes should be interpreted liberally “to ensure fair play by the contestants”.

As a result of this stance, the ASA takes a relatively light handed approach to regulation. That means that while the agency deals with literally hundreds of complaints about advertisements every year, most of them – like the Minister’s – end up being dismissed.

For instance, a complaint was lodged against a well-known Heart Foundation TV ad, that shows a variety of people acting out a heart attack with the voiceover asking, “Who gives the most realistic performance of a heart attack?”. It alleged the ad degrades heart attack victims, causing them and their families unnecessary distress. But the ASA rejected the complaint on the basis that since it is an advocacy ad designed to raise awareness about the early detection of heart attacks, a robust expression of opinion is allowed.

However, a recent ASA decision was deemed to be so controversial that it hit the headlines – not because a complaint was dismissed, but because it was upheld.

The complaint in question centred on a storefront Unilever advertisement promoting their Streets ice cream brand. It featured a Paddle Pop, a Magnum and a Splice with the words “Ice cream makes u happy”. The complainant was concerned that the words promoted an unhealthy relationship with food and that the ad was therefore “extremely irresponsible” given obesity and mental health issues in New Zealand.

In a split decision, a majority of the Complaints Board said that because of the implied link between ice cream – a high fat, high sugar food – and a universal desire for happiness, the ad was not socially responsible and could undermine the health and well-being of consumers.

But a minority of the Board disagreed, saying ice cream is widely recognised as an occasional treat, and since the ad did not make any scientific or nutritional claims, it was socially responsible and didn’t undermine health, nor well-being.

In defence of their ad, which had been in use for five years, Unilever said, “ice cream makes u happy” was a “puffery” statement — an “exaggerated, fanciful or vague statement that no reasonable person could possibly treat seriously or find misleading”.

The company is now appealing the ASA’s ruling to take their sign down.

This bizarre decision has been described by the public as political correctness gone mad. Most people agree that ice cream does make them happy. They also believe they should be free to say so.

By siding with the PC brigade on this matter, the ASA has let New Zealand down.

Quite why it did so, in light of a what appears to be a sensible track record of decision-making, is open to conjecture. Some say the ASA takes a lot of heat from public health campaigners who argue that industry self-regulation does not work and that State control is needed. Perhaps they thought that banning an ice cream ad, may defray some of that criticism.

But while the ASA appears vulnerable to political correctness and clearly does not always get things right, the Minister’s proposal has sinister overtones.

After the Government’s last crack down on free speech following the Christchurch mosque attacks in March, armed police ended up knocking on the doors of people suspected of having the ‘wrong’ sorts of views.

That’s the unfortunate reality of life under Jacinda Ardern’s Labour Government. The threat to our freedom of speech and expression is growing stronger. And under Andrew Little’s Ministry of Truth proposal, it appears that 1984 is alive and well in 2019.

Please note, this week we are running two polls – the first is to ascertain your response to Andrew Little’s plan for a Ministry of Truth, and the second (scroll down or click HERE) asks whether ice cream makes you happy!



THIS WEEK’S POLL ASKS:

*Are you concerned about Andrew Little’s plan to establish a unit within his Ministry to control referendum information?



*Poll comments are posted below.

*All NZCPR poll results can be seen in the Archive.

THIS WEEK’S POLL COMMENTS

It would appear that he has a little brain. Allan What a twat of a man Craig All referendums results etc should be published and available to the public of New Zealand. We don’t need such a unit — just another way to fleece the taxpayer. Alan Very Very Concerned. Particularly since the current National Party lot are so ineffective and pathetic. Drain the swamp. Fix MMP;, party with most votes creates a government, no list MMPs, current form is pseudo democratic. Sam We are becoming a nanny state Peter little andrew needs to go away and find something useful to do Charles This is extremely disturbing. How arrogant to “control” information. I am angry that this government think they know best about everything when they are clearly lacking in intelligence, acumen and common sense! Wendy It is the Fox looking after the chickens Steve Free speech is the backbone of civilization, and removal of it is the goal of comrade Ardern who is following orders from soros. This MUST be stopped, for the sake of civilization Mike extreme social engineering by communist methods roger The.voters must deal to this dangerous plan Alan Conflict of interest comes to the fore, along with muzzling of freedom of speech. What a nasty controlling government we have. Peter From a corrupt Govt, what would you expect? Many NZers have first hand experience of this. Neil The Left thrives on hate and wants to silence us. A. Little would be the ugliest version, in every way, of this, like Communiist Corbyn of UK. Can’t win his own seat of New Plymouth & still angry about not being Labour leader. We should have binding referendums all the time and we don’t need him to dictate to us. Monica free speech is vital for democracy John As I have said many times and included the comment in various e-mails to members of parliament ” the naivety of this Government and its Members, is beyond belief ” Their life experience as demonstrated, as being that of a 5 to 12 year old. The concept of Andrew Little leading such a group is terrifying if it was not so laughable. Frank very much so politicians are the biggest liars out and Andrew little is a total plonker, they are pushing for total control of what we can say and what we can do these up coming referendum’s are just a waist of time and money, greens and labour are a dangerous combination and I hope they are voted out of our lives next year Rodger THIS IS DEFINITELY UNACCEPTABLE !!!!!! PETER State control preventing open discussion on issues could certainly lead to the government disallowing any views to be expressed but their own. Where is democracy in this? Mary Big bro antics with very large undemocratic potential. Stan BS Andrew It’s clear that Andrew Little wants the referendum to go his way. Paul Little is a Socialist to the core Russ More control he doesn’t think we have a brain Bev smacks of more government. control again. Ian I’m not stupid. Usually I can determine what is true and factual as against what is BS and political spin without any state sponsored assistance thanks. Ivan It’s obvious there lefties want to control what we are allowed to hear and manipulate the outcome Laurie Andrew Little (another “Claytons” representative) has always concerned me. This is just another example of a space cadet going about his merry way. Gary A Government, especially this one must never be allowed to consider what information is made available to the public. We need to make up our own minds rather than follow Government censored information. If anyone doesn’t understand what the subject is all about, be it euthanasia or cannabis then they should vote “No”. Allan Too much regulation now. Jim It is very concerning in the light of the passing of the Zero Carbon Bill too, where Jacinda stood up in parliament and stated that it was undeniable that sea levels were rising, undeniable that storm intensity and frequency were both increasing, that the world was warming. There is no evidence whatsoever to substantiate what she has stated as “undeniable”, it is merely her opinion based on flawed methodology, and we should be allowed in the public sphere to debate all these issues without fear of censorship. What Andrew Little proposes is sanctimonious dribble, but very scary dribble at that. Communists/Socialists or authoritarian dictators, take your pick, they’re all bad. Brian This is the ugly face of Marxism. Led by Jacinda and her lackeys we will see increasing manipulation of all media to push their narrative. Lee The government is trying to control everything! Tim Socialism in the extreme, controlled and conducted by a politically egotistic government Department = Communism ? ? MervB Very concerned of what will amount to state controlled censorship and potentially dissemination of biased information . We already have enough of this with climate change Kevin Communism is alive and well in NZ. Elizabeth I would not trust Andrew Little as far as I could throw him Tom I can make up my own mind and do not need information withheld from me. A slippery slope Robert It smells of big brother/nanny state.More socialist doctrine dressed up to deceive in pursuit of more central control. galem Clearly those whose ideas cannot withstand scrutiny need threads and shrill attack to uphold their dubious positions. Ross Well we are now well and truely a socialist state now aye Carolyn just another twit that wants us to do it his way bill It is the ministers typical ill thought out response ,which seems to emerge from some labour Ministers John We have enough control now could you trust a past union boss Ross police state tactics. A power hungry no sense politician Johan It just smacks of looney Labour and desperation. Jack Daniels knows she does not have any kind of mandate as she was only voted into power by Peters, she will say and do anything to try and get %u2018actually%u2019 elected by the electorate. The ministers she keeps, though they should be gone are the ones that are prepared to enact her loony ideas. Luke Communist and socialist practice has no place in western democracy. Benny He comes from the era of childhood indoctrination, part of communist teachings,Marxist manifesto, the fruits of Union-ism/Labor alliance and creeping socialism that can and will unravel democracy asap! Ced The current government is very creepy and my fervent hope is that the voters give them the heave ho in the coming election. Andrew Little is particularly scary – aint that the truth?? Derek Don’t trust him, or anyone else in this government, to do things properly and in the real interests of the public!! Richard I have said for decades that Orwell’s 1984, while warning us of the future , was also a blueprint for the political left. Is Andrew Little, paving the way for another Roland Freisler, a German Nazi jurist, judge and politician who served as the State Secretary of the Reich Ministry of Justice from 1934 to 1942 and President of the People’s Court from 1942 to 1945? I’m serious. Don We should all individually evaluate what is true. No-one should tell us heavy handedly what is true. Such truth is unlikely to be the truth. Max Angry Andrew needs to pull his head in. Any governmental control of information is a step back to George Orwells 1984. Robbie As stated this is what one might expect in North Korea, and for the moment we are not. so next election the choice is simple. John More hiding of all the facts by a useless bunch of idiots! Maddi Absolutely. Just another step towards total control. But remember, this communist Adern government was not the peoples choice, democracy was the last thing on Winstons agenda. There is a concerted world-wide effort from the far left to shut down thinking people. Just look at the nonsense anti-Trump campaign (he was voted in by the people) in the USA and the anti-Brexit campaign (this was voted for by the people) in UK as prime egs. We are dreaming if we believe true democracy still exists, yet why do more people NOT speak out about it? Sharen Bureaucracy is the Death of all Original Thinking ( Einstein ) and now leading to the Demise of Freedom of Speech and Expression in NZ. SAD Indeed !! Pierre The hallmarks of a Marxist State. No confidence in MMP. It only assembles a bunch of ignorant, egotistical people who each want to have “fame” by a bill named after themselves, regardless how ridiculous and damaging it is to society. Totally nauseating! Helena Democracy is gone under this government! Bruce No one has the authority to control referendum information. It is for the public to know the results and Little has to back off. When we vote in a referendum results need to be made known, TO THE PUBLIC. WE DO NOT WANT COMMJNISTIC CONTROL OF OUR FREEDOMS. CM will the Ministry of Truth (MoT) turn its attention to the misinformation and manipulation currently in vogue concerning climate change and ensure that a “true” balanced alternative opinion is presented. Of course not. Because the Govt has already decided its response to the outcome; so why would we believe they have not already decided the outcome of the referenda to consolidate “their” required results. alan The socially conservative lobby is extremely well-funded: they will be able to pay for extremist anti-views/”research” .. I have heard so much of this already and regret a referendum was needed to pass the EOLC Bill. I dread the nastiness that will likely come from the opponents, Rochelle The arrogance of these people such as Little, Winston, Shane Jones and Genter, (all LIST members and unelelected by the electorate) is becoming breathtaking, Needs to be stopped! Roll on 2020 Bryan Socialistic state control Neville hes hopeless nevkathy Very concerned – a fox minding the hens. Just like the way information about the Christchurch mosque shooting is very limited and does not answer a lot of important questions Paloma We now know that ‘Big Brother’ wears a beard Brian I am concerned about ANYTHING Andrew Little and his ilk do. Geoff Too Orwellian for my taste. It will be one step from this to having all dissenting scientists on AGW muzzled too. Darag I have no confidence in his judgement on critical issues! Cyril North Korean concept. Bruce It will be biased Arthur It will certainly stamp out information such as why President Trump refused to support the Paris Agreement. Presented by Dr Shiva Ayyadurai (Ph.D. from MIT) who is running for the UN Senate. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s1T0kPNJ-v4&feature=youtu.be Towards the end he mentions how the IPCC changed their ‘average climate temperature’ from 15 degree C to 14 degrees because the measured temperature at 14.6 C was showing cooling when they had predicted a rise. So, they just changed the datum to make it a rise! The link to the article he mentions that proves this is: https://www.americanthinker.com/articles/2012/11/fourteen_is_the_new_fifteen.html Tony We have to remove this government somehow. Notice how we never hear from Winston and his lackeys when we would assume that they would oppose this sort of rubbish. Albyn Little ,it as always appears to be mentally challenged ! Roy Referendum information should be controlled by an independent body. And referenda questions should be crystal clear, which they have not been in the past. Too many skewed leading questions. Sheila I can’t give an opinion!! Brian It will be known as the Ministry of Little Truth Russ Nth Korea for NZ ???? Michael He is not a wise man Maurice Don’t trust anything Andrew Little does! John Bureaucrats do what they are told ~ oh Mr Little you were a strange aspirant leader and you continue in justice Tony

The noose is tightening….. Ido Govt. control is bad ; this is very suspect Peter This comes from the same playbook as the response I received from the Abortion Legislation committee — that it would only seek oral submissions from those whose comments would seek to improve the bill. Obviously they did not accept my contention that it is always unacceptable to kill innocent defenceless human beings. Big Sister would not approve! Philip Do we really want to be like Korea or China and have Public Information controlled by the State. Laurel He can stick it where the sun don’t shine. Martin Socialism at its worst! Roger What’s the use of a referendum if only one side of the facts will be available? By pushing his ‘ministry of truth’, MP Little has opened himself up to disrespect. Janice Of course I’m concerned, but it’s typical Labour they are Communistic control freaks Eric I am concerned about any organisation that is appointed to be the arbiter on truth, but to create the arbiter in a department that is directly answerable to a Minister of the Crown is madness. Mr Little’s endeavours are simply adding another string to the socialists bow of thought control – free speech and “truth” control. Goebbels, Stalin and Mr Guterres would be impressed with his endeavours, but I am not. Once upon a time the Fourth Estate would have been the arbiter but no longer given the clearly biased and willingness to censor anything that does not support their views enunciated by the editors of Stuff and the solid left leaning of the columnists employed by the New Zealand Herald. Clearly our Government of losers, but also the opposition, were prepared to forgo anything that offered a different hypothesis on Climate Change than the one proffered by the IPCC, and the likes of Mr Albert Gore. The Former organisation is served by a number of so-called scientists that are prepared to distort and falsify data in their alarmist religion, together with the views of children aged 4 – 16 who have no world experience or scientific knowledge other than to regurgitate the religious dogma of the alarmist school of learning. The government and the opposition were not prepared to provide the public any balanced facts on this subject so what chance has a “Ministry of Truth” have of ensuring balance, unbiased “truth” is provided to the public. Michael This government are out of control with the things they are changing. Liz I could never be comfortable with a government ministry being responsible for discerning what is the truth. Once upon a time it would have been the Fourth Estate but given its clear left bias this is no longer the case when one looks at the utterances of the editors of Stuff, and the general tenor of columnists employed by the NZ Herald. I am not sure that any organisation set up as the arbiter on truth could be non-partisan but it certainly should not be answerable to any minister of the Crown. This seems to be yet a further string for the socialists bow, simply reinforcing the hold on free speech they are seeking to gain and public opinion they seek to muzzle. Michael No comment Bill I went to see my local MP Michael Woodhouse about this on Monday of this week. He showed me he was concerned and he was well aware of the dangers. He said that the group within the Justice Department could be set up without parliamentary scrutiny and all National could do was to monitor what was going on. I truly hope we all will do that and then speak up loudly as I think the Minister is flying a kite to see just how far he can go to influence our country by what seem some pretty foul means. Ray This is NZ not Russia Edward Very much concerned, as what with that and the restricted “freedom of speech” that is already in place, our democracy and good Kiwi way of life is very much under threat. Ted Do we need referendum information? We will get a question requiring a yes or no answer. I believe it is up to each voter to do their own research into the information they need to make a decision. Dennis There is enough insidious propaganda floating around with tribal control without Govt departments stepping in with controls of our freedom. David Idiot ! Richard The news in NZ is already filtered, such that to get even a rough picture of what is happening viewing Fox, Al Jazeera, the BBC and listening to certain radio hosts becomes a necessity…if you can find the time. TO have the incumbent government “Fact” checking really would be …”The Ministry of Truth” Lionel Once again Labour are trying to totally control us and whet we think. Minister Little needs to stand down. Fraser Dictatorship Colin It’s a gag because under this government there is no freedom of speech and certainly no truth ,transparency or honesty maureen Pity about Orwell giving all these people ideas! Howard Typical Socialist attempt to control democratic expressions of opinion Kelvin Telling us how to vote is not on. Putting both sides of the case in an unbiased way is what I expect. Margaret A thinly disguised effort to take control of our thoughts. Democracy is supposed to ensure freedom of speech! Graham As was said in the preamble : This is a pure big brother tactic akin to the North Korea, China or Iran regimes Richard Orwellian John Talk about living in a Nanny State! Juliet Communism here we come David This is bloody madness. Straight out of SF for controlling populations thoughts. Nick I don’t trust him/them to be transparent and honest in what they release or comment on. David Andrew Little as always a left wing with pronounced communist ideas. He is going a step too far with the ASA. Garry Unnecessary interference with existing legislation and freedom of choice Richard You only have to watch the TV coverage of the court ashes to see 1984 big brother is watching you Andrew Little looks like Stalin and is behaving like him. A little man totally out of his depth, trying to be relevant, in a world that has passed him by, not prepared to admit that he just doesn’t have the ability to add anything useful to the country, unless it’s by force. Sorry but it just isn’t going to work, news travels fast in this modern world of communication, and there’s nothing he can do about it. Merryl Little cannot control himself so god forbid he tries and control others thoughts William Tyranny is at our door and is literally about to start kicking it in. ROBERT This Communism/Socialism at its worst – Andrew Little is digging himself and the Ardern coalition government into a very large hole; if you think the issue of housing that toppled Twyford was major, it was nothing compared to this proposal from Little. Frankly, power has gone to his head!! Hewitt he is a looser on that direction. leave the people to live their own lives william Most definitely yes. We should have the freedom to all information so we can make informed decisions. Restricting information with regard to referendums will limit our freedom markedly and should not go ahead. Helen Absolutely unethical and not impartial Paul who would trust Andrew Little he is a blatant lier and when you consider his union background he will do anything to protect his arse and with Jacinda and her mates what would one expect. ken All oversight should be totally independent Gareth Thanks for all the information. Helps the average person learn about what is going on in NZ Marianne Extremely concerned. He wants control over our lives – what we think, believe, say and do. Would make a good dictator. Barbara send Angry Andy to Nth Korea for a short 77 year visit!!! Roger Don’t trust any of them Mike Look out North Korea, you now have competition in being the worlds biggest toughest control regime. Graham Not independent Kevin He can’t be serious??? Tim Concerned would be a totally insufficient term in this case. Utterly disturbed and worried is more appropriate. But we should not be surprised about what that communist weasel AL want to set into motion here. And besides — look at the situation in Germany or,the Dems transition into a purely socialist outfit in the US, to name two of the most dominant examples– this Labour Govt is simply applying all the commie / socialist tricks in the book to gain total control. Truly – 1984 has indeed arrived in our midst. I said it before and say it again: What is also deeply disturbing is that our so- called opposition ( ie National Party — do they still deserve to carry that name I wonder) is sitting on their butts doing nothing– except maybe utter some half arsed pseudo critical comments to keep up appearances. A very sad picture indeed. ) One must wonder how the election will go next year. With the deceiving influence of the NZ fake news industry a lot of ordinary NZ citizens will be massively misinformed and habitually vote for the same old without reflection. Keep eyes peeled on Act and the New Conservatives. If they make it into Parliament exceeding 5 % they will be turned into political targets by the NZ Antifa and radical Maori outfits( and fully sanctioned by Labour /Greens) — pretty much on a scale to what does happen to the conservative AFD in Germany- right to the application of physical attacks and continuous medial slandering. Watch this space people. One can see that coming. This is how they operate. Michael The Minister’s proposal is just another nail in the coffin for democracy. Ronnie Our freedom of speech is being eroded and attacked openly lately. Unfortunately, our education (propaganda) system is indoctrinating our children and moving us rapidly towards a Socialist society. Allan

Freedom of speech and freedom to debate is being eroded. Also, who would trust Andrew Little with anything? Mark Un-bloody-believable! Is this Godzone? Liam there are many views, none of which should be controlled. Brooke I would not trust Andrew Little as far as i could kick him. Errol Extremely worrying Murray This tosser should be nowhere near anything important. Everything he is supposed to do he hires a high priced operative to handle on his behalf as he has no clues nor decision making capability – witness like river mine. Mike This should be very concerning to all NZers. Jacinda ADERN is a very dangerous woman with very socialist leanings, plus she is being guided by a very socialist U.N. who want control via the one world govt. this govt and the other treacherous MPs within Labour and the Greens must be gone next October (or sooner) Before our economy is destroyed. We are getting rid of lucrative farms which are our life blood and overseas interests are planting our farms with bloody pine trees. For Gods sake NZ, wake up. Where do these stupid people think the money is coming from to pay our welfare and infrastructure? Carolyn Of course he is going to encourage everyone to see things his way or it’s no way Peter Obviously he does not trust New Zealanders to make-up their own minds. We do have more grey matter than he considers we have. Florence There is just so much manipulative shite coming from this liberal government, that I am depressed past commentary. New Zealand needs to wake up. Joyce I don’t care what the view I want to know ALL points of view. David this is Jacindas socialist Govt kicking in just watch she has a lot more in store for us poor phesants to many green on the out side but very red on the inside they have to go next year russell At the centre of the Socialist agenda is total control over what people can do, say, and even think: it is their utopia and our nightmare. Sadly, many of the public seem to be either unaware of the sinister significance of such a move as proposed by Little, or else they are too apathetic to care. Graham This smacks of only tell the people what they need to know Sheryl I am concerned about everything this present Govt is doing, another year is a long time and time for them to cause more trouble to us NZ Citizens. Barbara Goldstone You bet I am, I wouldn’t trust Little with my cat, and he’s been fixed. Athol What is the point of having a referendum if the public are not made aware of the full result. Arthur Freedom of information should be first and foremost in any healthy democratic system of government. In fact this is the principle combined with freedom of the press that ultimately determines whether a democracy survives or not. This is why the prosecution (and persecution) of journalists like Julian Assange is so dangerous because at this point the rule of law (another pillar of democracy) is being subverted by the state. Peter insidious. Dirk The comment that this would make NZ look like North Korea iis so very true Maurice I am fed up with professional politicians generally list MP’s coming up with these stupid initiatives, hopefully the main thing coming out of the next election with be the demise of Labour and the lunatics in the Green Party Robert We cannot have any confidence that this plan will deliver well being to us – in fact, quite the contrary on the evidence of Little’s dissatisfaction with the ASA ruling Russ Definitely aimed at suppressing contrary opinion to the Government’s aims. Paul Did not know that Andrew Little had been through the same Communist training as Jacinda . Catherine He really is an incredibly nasty piece of work this man and his ambitions for New Zealand certainly don’t match in any way with mine-or I believe the majority of New Zealanders either. Roger It is like the Minister wants to control or monitor what comes out in the public arena Tony Labour want to control everything. I DON’T TRUST then ever…… Carl Absolutely. Andrew Little will suppress any information he does not like to support his viewpoint Other politicians of all political opinions would like to become the Minister Of Truth and do likewise with what they do not like. Colin He couldn’t run a Government so why is he in charge of Justice in this country. Surely that is the most serious portfoliO requiring the most educated, fair and level minded person in charge! Little falls majestically short on these basic requirements. Robyn YES, VERY concerned. It is removing our freedom of speech choice. Drip by drip… George Assistance in dying is a complex and emotive issue in which it’s all too easy for people to spread Trumpesque misinformation. All this needs is some explicit criteria by which it will be determined whether or not the information provided is sound – and these can be made public and checked. I have no problem with any government performing this task with respect to the referendum. Left unchecked and ludicrous horror stories end up being circulated with most non-specialists having neither the time nor the resources to distinguish the valid from the fictitious. As a result, our citizens could all too easily be misled by online pressure groups. Glynn I am very disturbed about such a plan Trevor Completing the picture from Animal Farm. PM is Squealer and Little now Napoleon? Will not take long to complete the cast. Chris Just another socialist attempt to censor information. People can only make decisions on the information they are allowed to see. Bruce C Anything that man does is a concern John Don’t disagree with me, comrade! David State control gone mad. john Too much that our current mix and match Government is doing smacks of state control and the curbing of personal freedoms. This includes our right to act as the responsible citizens we are. Transgress and accept the punishment, this to is a right to be protected. Alastair untrust worthy dpt of misinformation. open for routing: mike The current legislation is more than adequate. This looks very much like a a left wing propaganda machine being set up. Geoff I am seriously concerned about these thinly disguised, anti democratic, doctrinaire communists. Wouldn’t dear old Orwell have had a field day with these closet thugs. Comrade Little and our Beloved Leader with the big fangs would have seemed almost unbelievable in a modern version of “1984.” Rob He is either totally ignorant or totally stupid or just naiive if he thinks he or his ministry could be trusted to exercise independence. Give me a break! Greg Some people do not have access to independent information and will swallow whatever they’re fed by the government. Claire Just as the sheep in “Animal Farm” finally rebelled if this trend continues a rebellion may be promoted in NZ. John Another sinister step along Jacinda’s road to socialist control of free speech. Gordon In My view New Zealanders are quite capable of making this sort of decision for themselves and should not need to require and ministerial monitoring. Des Open to corruption and the generation of misinformation. David Ardern has thee most controlling government ever in NZ, won’t be long before we are banned from saying “Good Day” to each other. Time to vote her out and restore freedom. George Even if it were a good idea, Andrew Little, given his background, could not be trusted to establish such an organization. Charles Yes, most definitely. I do love ice cream and I eat it perhaps twice a week and whether it is a magnum, or a cone at the beach or a fancy desert at dinner time, ice cream always gives me a feeling of happiness. Not only does it generate joyous feelings while I am eating it, but also in the anticipation of eating it. I notice a similar mood improving effect in the people around me, so you miserable, up tight, droning bores who are adversely judging the “ice cream makes you happy” ad, just go boil your miserable heads!!!!!! 🙂 Dianna Totalitarian plan.. disgraceful abuse of too much power… Donald All information should be given to the pubic so they can make an informed decision, not half truths and Labour ‘s slant. Wendy Yes, I am concerned. I am equally concerned about many other over bearing legislative moves that the current Government are imposing. We have environmental zealots trying to push through things like a sugar tax. How damnably absurd. Just expect people to make their own commonsense judgments and take the consequences of those judgments, rather than trying to straight jacket everyone by making their lives increasingly expensive with costly regulation. One example of the most pervasive posturing pronouncements is the “no more hydrocarbon exploration”. What a bunch of incompetent, stupid fools! Dianna Of course. There should be some form of monitoring to ensure that facts presented are correct but it is totally inappropriate for the Minister’s own department to provide that function. Terry Too like communism. Barbara Andrew Do Little is barking mad if he believes his ministry should become civic censors jeff The man is not able to offer even a half-believable reason why he is the right and proper person to make these decisions. He is an utter disgrace! TOBY

Little is moving into a very dangerous area of free speech Noel little by name little by brain James Very Peter This govt MUST be booted out at the next election or this country is doomed! Janet A very scary idea. What next? Peter well that is one way of controlling everything that is for sure. Cherryll Have you listened to National Radio and viewed TV1 lately? There was a a Ministry of Information in Nazi Germany too I belief. Ours is just a little more subtle. Bruce This PROVES labour is a communist party in disguise. EMAIL IMMEDIATELY EVERY-ONE or you,ll loose FREE SPEECH,ALL MP,s from ALL parties.THIS MUST BE STOPPED. Cindy Yes – definitely! At any point where Andrew Littles’ “unit” would feel the need to “control” referendum information, truth will be thrown out the window in favour of “political expediency”, which in most cases involves distortion of the truth, otherwise known as lying (untruth). The two cannot co-exist – they are mutually exclusive. For this reason, any plans conceived by any member of the COL should give any clear thinking person cause for concern. Any comparison to George Orwell’s “1984” is quite valid in this case. Scott I have been deeply concerned ever since the so called “hate speech” restrictions came into being. Little’s proposal is in my view an extension to restricting free speech. There will always be people with extreme views but they are generally in the minority. The current proposal has a much more sinister intension – control by the state. chris I recently re-read George Orwell’s 1984. His Ministry of Truth is seriously evil, well beyond Andrew Little’s plans. However, I agree with your concern. colin AL should but out and leave the appropriateness or otherwise to the established authorities john Dangerous!! Rich As encouraged by your column, I wrote to many National Ministers asking them to vote against the Zero Carbon Bill – their response? A PR letter saying why they didn’t have the gumption to do so! A waste of my time and energy if National don’t listen to their supporters and voters…. Joanne communism allan I am most concerned particularly as he is only a list MP and cannot, as an individual, be voted out of office by the people of New Zealand. He therefore is not driven or controlled by any public viewpoints but by his own ideology. A powerful and very, very dangerous man in my view! John What about transparency ? I can’t wait for the next Election to get this crazy coalition OUT ! Andrew More Govt control, why can’t people judge for themselves? Simon Absolutely yes! Joe What’s next??? Mind control? Current media manipulation, e.g, climate change, is the canary in the mine warning us of things to come if this government is re-elected! kris NZ under the so called labour Govt is fast becoming a state police controlled fascist country. Freedom of speech is in jeopardy and NZ citizens freedom of rights is under attack. Wayne Almost everything this government has done smacks of Communist ideology. We need to fight against being subsumed by evil. Jenny Andrew is clearly aiming to protect his view on both matters, as he is in favour of both. Voters have more ability than what Andrew considers us to have. We have the ability to research an establish our own views of the facts and that includes manipulation by the Labour Government to achieve their goals. Louis This unelected unionist nitwit needs to grow a brain and think things through before acting Phil Drongo! murray Communism here we go. David I have always been concerned that polls can steer answers in a certain direction. Questions can be framed to elicit certain information while avoiding ‘unwanted’ references or suppressing certain facts.. This is a regular practice in law courts where counsel wishes to draw out certain facts whilst suppressing others.’Just answer the question’. The statement ‘icecream makes you happy is typical. I like icecream but I know that it can make me fat or perhaps sick if I eat too much of it. I do not want either of those results but I am happy to eat icecream, within reason,, knowing that I need to avoid unwanted consequences.. Does it really make me happy?No. It is an indulgence that does not harm within reason. I am particularly concerned that those who frame referenda should do so in an unrestrictive and fair manner., not narrowing down the choice of answers in any way. They should ask in an open and fair way. We want the true public opinion, not merely vindication of a political view. Harvey Here we go with further social(ist) control of voter information mirroring in similar form Simon Bridges voting against the public having the final word on the Right to Die Bill. Its endemic from both sides. There is only ACT left to the right. Richard 1984 socialism in person, and let’s face it, Little couldn’t make anywhere else but politics. Graeme Total proof that Labour wants a return to “1984” at any cost. Graeme What a sourpuss reaction to the ASA decision. Would he have proposed it I wonder, if the decision had gone his way? Dick This is typical socialist procedure. Beware New Zealand. Stuart The true cause of Climate change is overpopulation of the world. Zero population growth makes more sense than Zero carbon -imagine the outcry if a political party were to push for Zero Population growth!!! David Some one thinks they are a little hitler chris This just cannot happen, it will open the floodgates to further Government ‘oversight’. David Why does this Government continue to assume that the general public are stupid and will agree to every thing they come up with. Their use by date is well passed. Peter George Orwell’s 1984 has arrived in NZ Robin But, without this, there are no enough photo-shoot opportunities for Taxinda to get her another term Mark My happiness is not dependent on ice cream, sunshine or euthanasia bills… Mark A Little Draconian Aye! The labour party put into power by dear Winston is out to control what we say, how we should live, what is truth… I’ long to see the end of this sham! steve Absolutely, yes! Brian Little’s comments are a danger to our democracy & smack of a totalitarianism not wanted in NZ. Brian Here comes Reds under the bed Allan Andrew chooses not to understand the difference between an opinion and a claim of factual accuracy! Eb Any thing Little does is subversive of our freedom and democracy. Big lies from Little Peter It sure does and my favourite is orange chocolate chip just like Frank Newman. We are so lucky to have this treat made with good ingredients here in NZ. Did you ever see someone with an icecream looking sad of course not therefore icecream must make you happy!! Mary After all: Who will watch the ‘Watchers”? Carl I am concerned about Labours desire to install communist like oversight into our society Warren Do these politicians think we were born yesterday? You only need to watch a couple of sessions of parliament to see how much politicians lie. Andrew Little as head of the Truth Police? YEAH RIGHT! Terry

This government must be the worst in NZ’s history. Their unsuitability to govern is shown in many different ways, and this is just one more example. This is an inexperienced government politician with a chip on his shoulder (typical unionist) who has suddenly got the power to say “my way or the highway”. Scary indeed. Roy This is of great concern & will be another big step towards a communist state. The govt already have an unhealthy control of the media nigel Another gradual step of manipulation and control. Elaine 1984 echo echo echo echo .. Coral This article should be out there for all people to read. Chris Where has democracy gone? Tony Typical of left wing governments, they can not tolerate dissension to their views. This is made easier for Little in that most people under 50 don’t remember the oppression of people behind the Iron curtain before European communism collapsed. This is seen in the rise of marxist sympathy in western countries. Willy Indeed 1984 is alive and well!! Ian Yes, VERY concerned as Jacinda has so lied to us from day 1 about “her” government being transparent. Further, angry little Andrew has clearly, from day 1 also proven to us that he cannot be trusted and his plan is nothing more than the “Ministry of Truth” against which George Orwell warned us, way back in 1949. Frankly, I expect Jacinda’s “transparent”government to seize upon any opportunity to filter out truth, promote lies and deceptions and obfuscate to produce a reason for ignoring the “binding” outcome of the referenda if they do not support “her” wish. Um…….Thinking about it, I may be coming to the view that actually, “her ” government may be the most transparent we have ever had as we can all see straight through the lies, deception, and statements made to justify “her” government’s gross incompetence . Vernon Unionist commie BS John If this is what this band of socialists are planning, it goes without saying, that the intention is to control all public speech and comments unless the comments promote their ideology. Sounds like North Korea to me. Barry So does sex and food and a roof over my head. Graeme Ridiculous! Jan But not surprised. pdm We are becoming a dictatorship by stealth. When will our so called Millenials wake up? Jill Extremely concerned. Pete All information should be presented otherwise it is not a true poll Peter I am concerned about Little’s partisan proposal, but I also believe NZ is in desperate need of an independent Truth Commission to resolve the disputed validity of racial issues. Graeme This is NOT by the People, for the People.This is all about me, Andrew Little. BUT I do feel there is another powerful corruptive Force behind all this Agenda. Part of an overall strategy for total Government control. The Venezuela Chile Effect. God save New Zealand. Geoff To the limited intellects among Labour and leftists in general, “democracy” either works to advantage their specific wants/needs/desires or it doesn’t. As they see it, if it doesn’t, it isn’t democracy. Jim We need robust debate. For every pin of view in one direction, there is always someone to present the contrary view. How can we evaluate an issue if Hal the arguments are censored Anthony VERY!!! Carol I’m concerned about just about everything politicians do. This from Little does nothing to make me think otherwise. art He needs a ‘one way’ ticket to North Korea. What happened to the “Land of the Free “..??? CHowes Its simply adding another level of bureaucratic control. Andrew Little is a control freak. Maurice The less control this man has the better. Pete

This is a very sinister development. Under Labour New Zealand is definitely becoming like 1984. Tim You can bet that once Andrew Little sets up his Ministry of Truth it will be here to stay – and it will track down people accused of hate speech or speaking out against the government. National should be opposing this attempt to undermine our right to free expression. Roger Labour’s communist roots are now showing through with this plan for a propaganda unit. Brian Andrew Little’s idea is very silly. The Prime Minister should reign him in. John This is all very scary. New Zealand is no longer the free society we once used to be. Armed police will soon be knocking on our doors. It really is starting to feel like 1984. Anne

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OUR SECOND POLL ASKS:

*Does ice cream make you happy?

*Poll comments are posted below.

*All NZCPR poll results can be seen in the Archive.

THIS WEEK’S POLL COMMENTS

Very happy in fact. The people who made such a decision are brainless, hence their decision Allan I regret it but I love ice cream — all forms of it. Alan people on the board who roll over after some nutter complains just shows how worried we should be about the direction this country has gone down the misery hole. Ice cream does make one happy. oh no we cannot have that 🙁 Sam It is a treat Peter It is a treat Peter But I would never admit it in public – too controversial. Charles Indubitably Steve The air heads are taking over. How can one complainant, ruin the enjoyment of thousands? Steve Of course it does! Who are these ASA people??? Murray Very happy Steve Ice cream makes people smile, and when they do, they are beautiful. Those that are not, attack those that are Mike Of course it does roger It was just like labour telling us what size shower head we had to use Alan Is the Pope a Catholic? Like boysenberry or other fruit and vanilla in a cartoon but don’t see much of it now the children are not here. Also love real Italian gelato not the stuff we get here, Monica Good Ice Cream not only makes you happy. In my day it was advertised as -. ” The food Ice Cream “ Frank I love ice cream and have a wee bowl every couple of nights, and I love a magnum when I feel like it, this government needs to take the hammer of us, old enough to make our own bloody decisions, this governments got to go rodger Lovely acceptable food, peter Absolutely. Such a decision is an embarrassment to NZ. Paul What a lot of nonsense they come up with AN My happiness has nothing to do with eating. Ice cream is delicious. ian sure does. love it especially creamy vanilla Ivan It sure does! Laurie I was an Ice Cream scientist for 30 years, coincidentally for Unilever. I co-authored the original study using Colworh costar rats into the nutritional qualities of Ice Cream. If paired with a wafer cone (as in Cornetto) it was shown to be equally nutritious as PRF (pure rat food) the normal diet of said rats. The only problem was that rats are Lactose-intolerant. However the Ice Cream-fed rats maintained equal weight with the PRF rats. With two other diets – ground boiled sweets & honey the rats died relatively quickly. Ice Cream is a perfectly acceptable & sustaining diet. It has a good balance of nutrients, but is lacking in some minor vitamins & minerals. It is also most enjoyable to eat !! Which is why it is fed to children in hospital. David I prefer Greek Yogurt meg Of course it does. Most of us were brought up to relate to ice cream in that manner. Daaah!! Gary Nearly as much as going to a public loo and finding the toilet roll still has enough paper left on it after you have done the deed and noticed there is no spare. Whew! Brian Yes of course. It counteracts the constant depression we have to put up with from this present Govt. Bruce Sure, it is high fat/high sugar food, BUY moderation is the key to good management in Diet, who regularly ‘pigs-out’ on ice-cream regularly ? ? ? And if they are politicians, WHO CARES ? ? ? MervB Just thinking about it makes me happy. Elizabeth Always a pleasure to have an ice cream Tom Giving and receiving – YES! Ross Of course it does Carolyn just chases away the gloom for a moment or two/ John I am already happy !! I just enjoy eating Ice cream. Ross This person has no sense of humor. Or he is suffering from dementia Johan Kids with an ice cream makes me happy. Benny Of course it does, and it rots ya teeth, makes ya fat and ugly and puts you in an early grave, no worries! Ced Yes – but not if you have a tooth cavity LOL! Derek Do NOT need ANY organisation telling me what makes me happy or not!!! It is NOT their business! Richard But I certainly enjoy eating it. Very more-ish Max Why not have a treat occasionally, and it certainly should not make you sad! Robbie VERY!! Maddi Very! Paddy YES, of Course !! NZ produces two world class quality products : 1.0 – Ice Cream and 2.0 – Cheese Pierre Regardless of whether it does or doesn’t I have the right to decide for myself. Bruce Ice cream makes me happy, a walk along the beach makes me happy, gathering with family and friends make me happy, keeping good health makes me hapy. Happy, happy, happy, happy! Helena nearly as good as sex. Russell Moors cookie dough With chocolate chip is Our favourite Catherine PC gone mad? or Tip Top annoyed that they didn’t think of it first? alan I share an ice-cream with my partner perhaps six times a year and then I enjoy it. Happiness is not that easy though. And it would be better if strawberries or raspberries or apples or plums etc were advertised as the treat that makes you happy .. but it isn’t done. Obesity is a personal and national/international disaster. Rochelle The ASA not some people with brains as this decision was way out of line. The ASA members must live in another world. Graeme Very happy! Phil Yes it does. It makes me smile. I don’t have it very often but when I do, I enjoy it. And so does a child that is not feeling very happy. What about a little ice cream will usually raise a weak smile. Paloma Happiness is an “inside” job. Plus I usually aim to keep my carb count to less than 20gms a day. So the very occasional gelato is where it’s at with me. But if they have a problem with that ad what about Coke? Doesn’t that “Open Happiness”? Darag Yes, provided it is not overdone and abused leading to obesity long term. But this is true of many foods, beverages, drugs. Geoff The ruling government is a prisoner of the gutter. Bruce It does not make me sad Arthur No need, stupid complaint and result Don Stupid decision. Albyn I don’t eat it very often but enjoy it when I do Sue Not a lot else to be happy about with this lot distorting the truth Russ Because I am sugar free in my diet !!!! Michael Frank says it all ! Maurice Typical lefties have no self control. I know eating too much ice cream will make me fatter so I don’t John Strange question but do enjoy the odd choc block Tony Will I go to prison if I say that I like ice-cream ? I’m sorry Jacinda and David … please don’t voluntarily euthanise me and my family for being happy when we eat ice-cream. We promise to never, ever do it again. Steve

Tip Top’s Boysenberry Ripple makes me ecstatic!!! Philip And no I don’t eat it every day it is a feel good occasional treat. These nay sayers need a reality check, most of us are sensible over these things. Laurel Yes! Yes! Yes! Martin Are these people for real? Roger I wonder what watchdog who thinks they know better than I as to how I live my life made such a hair-brain complaint.? But how could such an authority rule in favour of such a complaint? If they can do this surely this must make one question as to what chance would a “Ministry of Truth” have. Not one word of untruth in the banner because an ice-cream does make me feel happy – and THAT IS THE TRUTH no matter how they may try to convince me otherwise! Michael Sure, but it also could make you fat so I limit it to one 2 litre every two weeks. Eric There is no other reason to have it! Gordon I love it. Ray Unless it was enjoyable and gave you pleasure or happiness why would you eat it? Ted I look upon it as a treat on a sunmmer’s day. It’s got to be good for you. Dennis Hell yes! How anyone can be fooled by this sign beats me and how the ASA can come out banning it, words fail me. Fraser About time they got a life Gary Ridiculous that this was the subject of a complaint Ray Especially salted caramel. And so does chocolate and wine. maureen Real New Zealand Icecream, confirmation we live in God’s own. Richard Silly complainants make me unhappy. Luckily, ice cream can fix that. Margaret Of course, better than all those recreational drugs they’re pushing. Graham Ice cream is a treat and it sure makes the Grandchildren happy. Carole Yum, Happy, Yum, Happy. Richard anything to sweeten this crowd of clowns governing at the moment Norm Yum yum John

If there’s one kind of person I can’t stand it’s do gooders, interfering in my choice of food. Butt out!! Merryl Not much point in eating it otherwise. Juliet Its the sugar David I love it I love it I love it. It makes me very happy. To say otherwise is pc stupidity. Nick Ice Cream has always made me happy, and it always will. I have my own disciplines regarding my intake of Ice Cream, but I love it. Jim Jim Love the stuff, makes me really happy 🙂 David Of course Garry Find me someone who says it makes them unhappy. The complainant of first instance sounds like the Grinch. Richard Let me make that decision it also doesn’t make me fat it gives me energy to work harder Andrew Morons!! William Ice cream makes me so happy that I momentarily forget about the evil people who are destroying all that is good in this land. ROBERT What jerk made that call have these boffins gone mad next they will be banning ice cream in hospitals for kids that have surgery and as a special treat where is the sanity these days. All P C CRAP. ken Yes or No – does it matter – just a bit of light-hearted advertising. Barbara I only know one person who doesn’t like ice cream as it makes their teeth hurt. I would argue that its their teeth hurting they don’t like, not the ice cream. Brett Ice Cream made me happy since I could say the word ‘ice cream ‘ .And hundreds of millions of people out there love it too. Michael Everyone knows that ! you do not need a degree just plain commonsense. What are we coming to – I am really concerned. sheryl Very!! You have to wonder how something like this even needs to be commented on. Sean Makes me happy! Mark Hell yes. Banning ads that states the obvious is dangerous. Brooke Perhaps Andrew Little should be given some! errol While I can see the point of the counter argument. The consideration that we are children needing looking after is an insult. Murray Leave people alone to enjoy their ice cream. Nanny State, bugger off and DO THE JOBS WE ARE PAYING YOU TO DO. Carolyn Of. course it does and why should it not lots of things make people happy and I’m very anointed that a government department can tell me what should make me happy all of these do gooders should go get a real job or shut up Peter Love it. What is the fuss about? Florence This is PC gone mad!! Frances While I’m eating it, yes. When I get on the scales, no. joyce How stupid can people get like a lot of things one person makes a noise and the rest suffer they should be told to go and take a running jump at themselves Russell THis is a idiotic decision impacting the reasonably minded majority Robert It’s a tough one: is the happiness factor greater with ice cream or with chocolate.? Decisions, decisions….. Graham Love Ice Cream Graham Dairy has Calcium, Calcium good for building strong bones and it tastes good Sheryl Of course! David There are some very little minded mentally sick people in NZ with too much to say. Athol I don’t really eat much ice cream so don’t care about it much. Barbara Goldstone Hell YEAH!! Bruce PC gone mad, I am well aware it also is inclined to make me fat, but it’s my choice. Peter Undeniably true! neil Only a fleeting pleasure whilst I’m eating it, and not a source of long lasting happiness. Peter Yes in moderation Robert Yes of course and most normal people would be of the same mind. It is only the PC brigade with its warped outlook on the normalities of life which could object Russ Nothing better on a hot , sticky day Catherine Yes it does…. Carl I love ice cream but as I am a diabetic I cannot have as much I used to consume years ago. Another stupid decision to ban something that has offended some Halfwit that should have known better. If you want to get through life without being offended then become a hermit in a mountain cave. Colin I Love ice cream. Who are these idiots on the Advertising Standards Authority? Clinton It is a treat so of course it does! Robyn Yes, very happy indeed! Trevor Absolutely. What moron could consider it did not? Nobody is forcing people to eat ice cream. PC brigade at its worst. Chris Yes – I love the sugar rush, the carbohydrate loading, the cool sensation on a hot day and the exiting sensations provided by the toppings and trimmings. Bruce C It makes us so happy we bought an ice cream maker and we treat ourselves whenever our WELLBEING runs low. David

Yes, ice cream makes me happy but if I eat too much of it, my waistline won’t be! Surely there’s a better way of communicating healthy eating habits than censoring an advert. Perhaps they should be encouraging people to be responsible for themselves rather than ‘protecting’ them from ‘all the bad things out there’. Whatever happened to good sense?! Jacky Vanilla with crushed raspberries and mango pieces for me please! Sylvia It sure does Rex I’m happy without ice cream or with it. So it is a rhetorical question. Greg I don’t think this advert is going to make everybody binge on ice cream and become obese. There are those who binge anyway without adverts like this. Claire Comes second to a tall “manhatten”. John Why not ice-cream like anything is ok in moderation-whatever makes you happy Colleen Wonderful to relax with an ice cram on a hot day, what better to bring a smile to your face George Why else would one eat something that rattles the nerves in one’s teeth! Charles This leftwing draconian anarchist government doesn’t Rod sad times. PC gone completely Bonkers.. Don Yes it makes me very happy thanks Terry Not sure if it’s the ice cream making me happy or if it’s because i am doing something “they” said I shouldn’t Paul Sadly, a proportion of the population are too stupid to know that too much ice cream makes you fat. These are the people on whose behalf the complaint has been made. Do you wish to be included in this herd? If not, you have the chance to change it in 2020. Vote for a party that does not wish to control your thoughts! TOBY love ice cream Jeff Always Norm yes i am a once a day ,82 and happy james Hokey Pokey ALWAYS makes me happy. Boysenberry ice cream makes me happy. Jelly Tips, Cornettos, Trumpets, Magnums ….. oh! Yes, ice cream makes me happy. Does ice cream affect my mental health? Yes it does. it makes me happy. Leonie On the occasions that I treat myself Peter Hell yes. I’m very happy! Peter Yes, because I look on it as a treat, to be enjoyed on occasion, rather than a regular habit. To over-indulge would detract from the happiness aspect as I would not wish to become overweight as a result – that would not make me happy! Scott what is happening with our lovely NZ why do they want to control everything this govn wants to control everything soon they will be telling us how to vote Cherryl Indeed I do! It takes my mind off those who a running (?)our country at the moment. Bruce How STUPID we are getting The Womans Day had just inside ALOT of celebrties ENJOYING eating ice creams.Even some on SLIM diets. Cindy Who doesn’t like ice cream??? Some people need to get a life and stop trying to determine what others do. Get over it. chris I see a multi-million dollar placebo-controlled double-blind research project coming up. Funded, of course by the ice cream industry! Colin Ice Cream is GREAT !! Ian Of course it does ? If this is all the authorities involved are concerned about then they should get another job ! Andrew Yes, but how else can I cope under a Socialist Mafia government? Now, just waiting for Andrew Little to conduct a referendum whether ice-cream should/not be legalised (excluding any THC topping, of course – GST included). Peter One of life’s small pleasures . In moderation of course..! Peter I like ice cream (particular flavours ,that is. I dislike y some flavours, or will only tolerate a lesser amount). I prefer smoother ice cream, as well. Some ice-cream is not so pleasant -too much ice and less flavour. My true answer would therefore be’ Yes’ in general but it all depends. I do not eat ice cream to get happy but am happy to eat the kind of ice cream that I enjoy, but I know it can make me unhappy if I over-indulge. I have know no scientific information to say that ice cream in itself induces a state of happiness but I find it a pleasant habit on most occasions. . Harvey It does not make me unhappy! Jim Ice Cream I feel is a luxury and eaten on special occasions and yes it does make you happy. Wayne Wonderful positive feeling for my spirit and soul Jill Always feel better after an ice cream. And we do not need a Nanny State controlling everything we do. Louis Neapolitan is good for a change occasionally. My wife does not like Hokey Pokey so we settle on Vanilla. I think that is acceptable democratically. Dick Hokey Pokey! Murray And too much makes you sick!!!! Graeme Adore it but ration myself so that I appreciate it more. Graeme Makes you wonder where this country is going Jimmy Always loved ice cream and especially NZ ice cream. David I’m surprised that they even had to ask such an obvious question. Peter

Yes and I don’t need any government department to tell me how much and how often I eat it Robin I hardly ever eat it, but when I do it does make me happy! Thom VERY HAPPY Steve It is very nice to have on a hot summers day. I love it. Brian There are two products made in NZ , that are absolutely fabulous and streets ahead of other countries, 1.0 NZ Cheese 2.0 NZ Ice Cream Off course Ice Cream makes me and millions of other NZ’ers Happy. What a Daft question !! Pierre In a facetious sort of way Gregory Ice cream is a very enjoyable treat, especially on warm days! Eb No brainer Andrew Little. Peter Just bought some last evening, to go with fresh strawberries from our garden. HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY …………………… Carl Oh yes it does I love ice-cream ASA banning this ad when we have to watch all the stupid other ones DUH Nigel As others have said – PC gone mad. Roy It’s my treat – plus the grand children’s. Elaine Especially choco or French vanilla icecream !! Coral Are the ASA on a backhander. This complaint should have been binned before it got to a vote. Tony yes and no, it tastes good BUT makes your cloths shrink… wayne The statement is too strong, I enjoy some icecreams, but making me happy is a statement too far. John Of course it does! The ASA needs to get a life, what idiots. Willy Happy ! more like enjoyment Ranald It is a “treat” not a basic food source. Ian It definitely doesn’t make you unhappy John What an absurd decision by the ASA. They should be focusing on the misleading depictions of so-called fast foods that confront us in print and on screen. Oh, how I yearn for a BK or McDonalds burger or a Subway that even comes close to looking anything like their ads.! Tony No,but I still like one every now and then as opposed to a couple of beers, that do make me happy. For gods sake, get a life ASA Barry Silly idea!!! Isa Does anyone eat it because it makes them feel miserable? This ban this, ban that attitude has gotten FAR out of hand. Are we to presume that in a short while, we will have absolutely no control over what we are allowed to see, hear, read or otherwise want to say, other than what the authorities want us to? This utter madness has got to stop, and soon. Kevin Definitely, what idiot would think not Graeme Of course it does. When did the advertising body become overloaded with PC appointees? Graeme it makes you FAT peter As a result of the ad, I now have ice cream for breakfast lunch and dinner. I’m happy ALL day! Grant Actually it only makes one FEEL happy for short time mike Tip-Top Ice creams….the essentials of a good life . Rx : Take 3 times a day. CHowes Most things that are likely bad for me make me happy. I do enjoy icecream. Maurice