The reaction to our front page ad last Wednesday has been extraordinary. In public, prominent Māori figures have loudly accused Hobson’s Pledge of misinformation, racism, hatred, and more. In private, our inbox has been hit with explicit death threats the likes of which we have never seen before.

We are not backing down. We are running another full page ad in the New Zealand Herald on Wednesday.

This ad will give New Zealanders the chance to fact check us themselves. Te Pāti Māori, Willie Jackson, and other activists have accused us of 'misinformation' and 'lies,' so we are 'showing our working'.

Here is a sneak peek (subject to going through the NZ Herald legal team):

Click here to chip in to the Save Our Shores fund so we can keep placing ads.

There was nothing disparaging or untrue in our ad, but you can judge that for yourself. Accusations of misinformation have been levelled without evidence or even specifics of what exactly we have got wrong.

Given the map was sourced from Te Kete Kōrero a Te Takutai Moana Information Hub (Kōrero Takutai) on the Te Arawhiti Māori Crown Relations website we would expect it to be accurate. Likewise, our information on the rights that come with Customary Marine Titles was sourced from the Te Arawhiti Māori Crown Relations website.

The level of rage the ad generated speaks to the degree to which radicals have whipped their supporters into a frenzy. It is concerning and appears to be escalating.

We have been clear that we abhor political violence and that all of our activism and advocacy is utterly non-violent. Judging by the messages we have received in the past few days, our opponents do not take the same position.

Our opponents appear not to be angry because we said anything false, but because we printed truthful information that they do not want to be widely understood. Whatever your position on customary rights to the foreshore and seabed, New Zealanders having access to more information about it shouldn't be a negative.

The information is already there on a Government website, we are simply drawing attention to it.

Those flinging accusations of misinformation need to front up with evidence to demonstrate what is incorrect.

Is it not true that almost our entire coastline is currently under High Court Application for customary title? Because the map on a Government website says that is the case.

Is it not true that Customary Marine Title gives iwi the right to veto (say ‘yes’ or ‘no’) to resource consents and conservation activities? Because that’s what the Te Arawhiti website says.

Is it not true that it gives iwi the right to be notified and consulted about marine mammal watching permits and Coastal Policy Statements? Again, see the website.

Is it not true that declarations of wāhi tapu can restrict access to areas?

Is it not true that Customary Marine Title grants iwi ownership of minerals other than petroleum, gold, silver, uranium, and in some circumstances pounamu?

Is it not true that iwi are granted all “newly found taonga tūturu” (treasures of cultural significance)?

And is it not true that iwi can create and lodge plans for the management of natural and physical resources that must be taken into account by local authorities and government? According to the Government’s own website all of this is true.

Te Pāti Māori should be condemned for attempting to strong arm the media into not publishing advertisements that they disagree with. They are interfering in commercial relationships. The kind of power they are demanding is intoxicating and will not stop here. Once they know they can bully media they will use the same tactics on other issues and other advertisers. It starts to look like cartel behaviour when activists coordinate to bully businesses which publish information that they don’t want shared.

I repeat, the information on our ad was factual and sourced from a Government website. We said that we don’t agree with the status quo. If discussing legislation and its implications is now beyond the pale and generates such visceral anger, we are in big trouble. Healthy democracies do not accept suppression of political discussion and dissent.

Te Pāti Māori and its proxies are welcome to share their alternative perspective, but they aren’t entitled to bully and silence their opponents.

Now is not the time to throw in the towel. Click here so we can do what Te Pāti Māori don't want us to: spread the word to more New Zealanders.

Make sure you get your copy of the New Zealand Herald on Wednesday!