Labour is accusing National and the Conservatives of surveillance state tactics in covertly filming billboards in an attempt to catch vandals.
3 News set up a camera too - not to identify anyone, but to see what kind of treatment the billboards get.
On a Friday around midnight, the Prime Minister's likeness is kicked in the face. A few hours later another National MP is ripped from his frame.
The billboards were filmed for a week and it was only ever National that was targeted, but not always for destruction: there was a late-night fix-it job, a gentle rearranging of the Prime Minister's face.
National and the Conservatives have installed motion-sensor cameras, filming some billboard hotspots in the hope of busting vandals in the act and handing footage on to police.
Labour has no cameras and finds the whole thing a bit Big Brother.
"I think New Zealanders are disturbed about moving towards a surveillance society," says Labour Party leader David Cunliffe.
The major parties agree this has been the roughest election yet for the defenceless hoardings, not helped by a Facebook page collecting National billboard vandalism.
But even the politicians see the funny side.
"I've had people redesign me with fruit baskets on my head," says Conservative Party leader Colin Craig. "I've joined several rock bands with long dreadlocks and so forth."
Then there's the cost. Labour spends $30 per billboard. National, more organised with mass printing, spends $20.
Labour estimates around 300 of its 6500 billboards have been damaged. National says about 1000 have been written off, but it printed a whopping 15,000 signs.
3 News
source: newshub archive
