If that sounds masochistic, it probably is.

by Mathew Horncastle

I Put an Opinion on My Own Billboard. The State Referred Me to Police.

Here is what I did.

I put political speech on my own digital billboard on Moorhouse Ave in Christchurch.

The message was simple: do not vote for Labour, the Greens or Te Pāti Māori.

It ran for a short time period, on an unrented screen, at no cost to anyone.

There was no secret donor.
There was no hidden campaign.
There was no political machine.

It was me, expressing my opinion, on my billboard.

The billboard also said:

“Approved by Matthew Horncastle.”

Then three people complained to the New Zealand Electoral Commission.

The Commission e-mailed me on 3 June and 17 June 2026 asking for a response. Those e-mails went to my junk folder. I never saw them.

Without ever actually reaching me, the Commission referred me to Police on 3 July 2026.

Then it published a public statement saying my billboards “did not contain promoter statements” at all.

That statement is false.

The billboards did contain the words “Approved by Matthew Horncastle.”

The Commission’s own referral letter admits that. Their actual allegation is that the billboard did not include separate contact details.

That is a completely different issue.

So a government body publicly misstated the facts about a private citizen, referred that citizen to Police, and did all of this over political speech.

That should concern every New Zealander.

My concern is now much bigger than a billboard.

I am concerned the Electoral Commission has been compromised by people with left-wing values who are hostile to right-wing speech and free speech.

If the Commission is neutral, the documents will show that.

If it is not, the public deserves to know.

That is why I have filed a formal OIA and Privacy Act request demanding the complaints, the internal assessment, the full referral package sent to Police, proof of contact attempts, and referral statistics since 2023.

The Electoral Commission does not own political debate.

The state does not own my billboard.
The state does not own my opinion.
The state does not own my speech.

A free country requires citizens who are allowed to criticise political parties.