THE LABOUR PARTY has said that its posters for the upcoming marriage referendum are not in breach of the law.
Independent TD Mattie McGrath alleged that the party had erected posters that did not bear the name of the printer and publisher on the front, something that would be an offence under the law.
McGrath said that the party should either withdraw the posters of bring the law into disrepute.
Now, both the Tánaiste and her party are either going to withdraw these posters or they are going to ignore the official guidance on this matter, thus bringing election law into disrepute.
It is a clear choice.
However Labour has said that it is only a small number of posters which were affected, and that a sticker was put on them afterwards with the printer’s details on them.
Why McGrath think it’s an issue
McGrath raised the issues around the Children’s Rights Referendum, when the Supreme Court ruled a government website was “not fair, equal or impartial“.
The Labour Party is now on notice that it is using illegal materials to promote its own agenda.
“How it decides to respond to this will speak volumes about its respect for the law and its willingness to abide by the existing framework of legislation which is supposed to guarantee transparency and fairness in referendum campaigns.”
A Labour party spokesperson told TheJournal.ie yesterday that a batch of posters had been printed without the printer’s details, but that a sticker was put on these.
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