Coalition For Open Government, New Zealand

That last post was just the first.

Think about what else is caught – and just not by a $60,000 limit, but by a $5000 limit.

The Vote for the Environment Campaign which rated each party’s environmental policies jointly run by Greenpeace, Eco, and Forest and Bird would be limited to $5000.

If the Civil Union debate had occurred in election year, the Wellington-based Campaign for Civil Unions would have been limited to $5000 (the Auckland-based group endured the process to register as an incorporated society and would have been allowed to spend $60,000).

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The first reading of the Electoral Finance Bill is today.

It is the Government’s first order of business and should immediately follow question time, probably a little after 3pm.

COG supports opening up the sources of finance of third parties, and making sure everyone knows who’s behind election advertising, so people can make informed decisions about what’s accurate, what’s not and how much attention we should pay to any view. We want reasonable limits on third party advertising, because we think there should be a level playing field, and having the potential for individuals to spend more money than political parties doesn’t make sense. The figures are debatable – we think $60,000 is probably too low, and 10 or 11 months too long – but the idea is a reasonable one.

Some reform is needed, but what of the Government’s proposal?

It’s bad. And while I spent my last post on how it’s arguably not as bad as it looks, this one (and maybe a couple to come) will look at how it’s worse than than even those opposed to it have been saying.

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And with the bad press (much of it deserved) the Electoral Finance Bill has been getting I thought I’d start with some of the good (or at least it bit that might not be as bad as it seems).

Aspects of the new third-party spending regime have sparked substantial controversy – within political ‘blogs, sure, but also Colin Espiner, and within the wider political arena. Labour has been accused of “screwing the scrum” – of setting up a system where they can spend vast sums of Government money during election year extolling the virtues of Government policies like Working for Families or KiwiSaver, which third parties (and political parties) can’t oppose without having that spend count towards their election limits.

But is it as bad as this? It doesn’t look that way to me.

Why? Because, as the law is written, appear to apply third party spending limits to Government advertising!

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And we’ve got a lot to say about it. Primarily, what on Earth were you thinking? The bill does nothing about anonymous donations to political parties, and nothing about secret trusts – and this was one area on which National and Labour actually agreed!
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Note: this page is not being updated.  For a (reasonably) up to date page of media and other reporting of the Election Finance Bill debate - visit this page under our Media heading.

NZPA: Rough ride ahead for election spending bill
Kiwiblog: Help us pick a name
No Right Turn: Election funding: the rhetoric and the reality and On The Wire
Herald: Government retreat on banning large anonymous political donations sparks anger
DomPost/Press: National’s deputy leader says rules help out Labour
Greens: Election campaigns: corporates versus cake stalls
RadioNZ: Business groups says crackdown on election financing could undermine lobbying
Parliamentary Questions 24.7.07.  Question 7 and Question 8
KiwiFM Audio: Wallace & Russell Norman on Election Financing

Media Release: 24.7.07 

The Coalition for Open Government says the government has failed to deliver on its most important promise for election finance reform – ending large anonymous donations and secret election trust funds.

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Media Release - 23.7.07

The Coalition for Open Government is very disappointed with the new Electoral Finance Bill, released today, saying it falls far short of the government’s promise to create a more open and incorruptible election system.

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The government today tabled their election finance bill.  Read the government’s release here.  The legislation itself is here on Parliament’s website.

Initial Reaction:
Green Party: Elections should be about policy not money
No Right Turn blog: A closer look: the Electoral Finance Bill
KiwiBlog: Shutting down dissent and Anonymous and trust donations remain legal
Kyoto Forestry Association: Election-Year Spending Limit Worse Than Expected
National: Labour screws electoral scrum

Coverage:
RadioNZ: Electoral reform lobby group appalled secret trusts left out of electoral bill and  Anonymous donations to political parties won’t be stopped by new bill - Greens
Newsroom: Diluted Campaign Spending Law Introduced
DomPost: $60,000 limit for political interest groups
Herald: New rules on election spending revealed
Radio NZ Audio: Minister Burton on Checkpoint; Morning Report piece
Minister: Press conference video (or press conference audio); Minister’s YouTube post

Draft new law on election campaign funding is just around the corner it seems, with several media outlets reporting last week legislation will be tabled in the house in the week ahead.

Parliament sits on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, so we could see the proposed legislation in a couple of days from now.

The Coalition For Open Government is keeping a close eye on the process, and will be working around the clock to produce a publication summarising the good and the bad aspects of the draft legislation as soon as we get a copy of it.

We want to see as many people as possible write submissions to the Justice and Electoral Select Committee on the proposed law, to ensure that this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to make the laws as strong as possible is taken up.  Be ready to make a submission, and please pass on this update to others who you think would be interested, and suggest they subscribe for further updates by emailing us.

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