Be afraid
OPINION: Your old mate hears some of the recent uptick in farmer confidence has slipped since the political polls started leading a bit to the left, away from the current coalition of National, Act and NZ First.
The OIA shows that advertising consultant Kim Wicksteed was paid $25,024 for a ‘marketing and communications’ strategy for Nanaia Mahuta’s Three Waters reforms.
Wicksteed was also paid an additional $3,588 to participate in the – wait for it – “Three Waters Reform Programme Critical Friends Advisory Group”.
His advice shaped the contentious and much pilloried advertising, featuring poorly drawn comic characters and green slime coming out of taps, which cost the Department of Internal Affairs more than $3 million.
The advertising campaign aimed to muddy the waters and show that local councils were doing a poor job.
Ultimately it failed to win
