I've just read the book ‘Dirty Politics', which Nicy Hager produced before the last election.

We are continually told there is no corruption in New Zealand. I've never totally believed this and if the comments many make about politicians are true, many others don't either.

After reading this, if a quarter of it is true, (and I have no reason to believe it isn't), then true democracy in New Zealand is in serious trouble.

The really scary bit was when I rang a good selection of my friends, all of whom were deeply interested in the last election, only to find that none of them had actually read it either.

The way people give away their power is by thinking they don't have any; and the ones who didn't vote in the last election certainly did that.

But this is worse.

This is people manipulating the power of all voters, intending or otherwise, by using the technique of hidden negative campaigning. May I suggest you get this book and make your own mind up.

R McGuinness, Tauranga.