$160,000 of taxpayer funding for partisan coverage of local body elections

Martyn Bradbury writes:

Wait – what the fuck?

The Spinoff, Local Elections 2022, up to $160,187 – a dedicated team of writers and contributors to cover the elections throughout the motu.

Very, very quietly, The Spinoff has been awarded $160,187 to cover the Local Elections?

Is this a very sick, very expensive joke?

Look, I love Efeso, we went to Uni together, he’d make an amazing Mayor, but sweet Jesus on a unicycle, how the hell is The Spinoff – who has post after fawning post loving Efeso while having angry post after angry post denouncing Leo getting Taxpayer money to cover the fucking elections?

It’s like giving Cameron Slater $160000 to cover the general election, I mean sure, you could give Cam $160 000, but wouldn’t that just be a donation to the National Party?

The Spinoff have shat repeatedly on Leo – which is fine and dandy, let’s be clear, but you can’t then give them $160 000 to cover the elections, they’ve just shat all over one of the candidates while supporting another.

How the hell is NZ on Air just endlessly shitting gold bullion straight into the mouth of The Spinoff?

Again, no issues with The Spinoff attacking Leo and supporting Fes, that’s not the issue, but you can’t hand over $160 000 to a partisan media outlet and pretend that money is covering local fucking elections!

Despite this wonderfully aiding my mate Fes, this is just so outrageous!

Martyn sums it up well as a sick sick joke. Anyone who thinks fiscally conservative candidates will get fairly treated by The Spinoff is deluded. And that would be fine if they were not getting taxpayer funds, but they are. so it isn’t.