Dunne calls for cross-party conference on EFA
NZPA reports:
United Future leader Peter Dunne today said a cross-party conference was needed to sort out problems with the Electoral Finance Act.
“No one, whether they were for the Act or against it, could have imagined the extent to which it is now intruding into every aspect of political life and the uncertainty it is causing for election officials, political parties, MPs and candidates.
On the contrary not only did I imagine this, I wrote extensively about it. I submitted to the Select Committee about it. And also amendments which would have helped make it better were voted down by Labour, Greens, NZ First and oh yes United Future.
“We cannot carry on with so much uncertainty and the flaws in the legislation need to be sorted out immediately in the interests of a fair election process this year.”
The easiest thing would to be change the regulated period back to 90 days. Having it for all of election year has indeed played havoc with parties and others. Even asking people to renew a lapsed membership gets caught up. A party talking to supporters in February who have asked to hear from that party gets caught up.
He said the problems should be sorted out by MPs rather than the courts.
Why? The MPs are the ones who stuffed it up in the first place, and have a huge self interest. Certainly it would be good to have a law with less uncertainty around it, but remember Annette King told us all how this was a good law and the law of common sense would sort it all out.
He said it should be made clear that taxpayer-funded party literature that did not solicit votes, money or membership was not attributable election expenditure.
No, no, no. The law has never ever exempted taxpayer-funded literature in the past. Giving MPs free rein to loot the taxpayer for their campaigns is not the answer. But moving the regulated period back to a more sensible time frame would mean that MPs could do their normals comms for most of the year, and then stop using taxpayer’s money for the last 12 weeks of the campaign.
Changes should also be made so the home address of a party’s financial agent was not required on advertising authorisations.
There we are agreed. But Bill English’s bill to fix this is not going to be debated in time unless leave is granted for it to move up the order paper.
April 16th, 2008 at 2:29 pm
God, he is so stupid! He wants to come out now and be Mr Common Sense long after the horse has bolted. A cross-party conference – golly, didn’t we suggest that in the first place? Isn’t that how electoral law is supposed to be decided anyway?
What. A. Prize. Prick. I can’t believe ANYONE in Ohariu is stupid enough to vote for him, but then again, that’s why it’s called representative democracy. Sigh.
April 16th, 2008 at 2:35 pm
Mr Dunne must have an absolutely huge arse. Because he’s spending most of his time running round trying to cover it.
Sorry Petey, we can still see the target you helpfully painted on it during the EFB, and come the election our boots will be aimed squarely at it.
April 16th, 2008 at 2:42 pm
Who sat on the Select Committee for the EFA?
April 16th, 2008 at 2:45 pm
Hear, hear, guys. But come ON, let’s not lose sight of PRINCIPLES. FREEDOM OF SPEECH. FREEDOM OF SPEECH. FREEDOM OF SPEECH. Cut out this BULLSHIT about needing to tinker with funding limits and time limits. If someone is a “rich prick”, Kiwis are bright enough (and I suggest, small-minded enough) to take that into account and ignore multi-million-dollar campaigns telling us to vote libertarianz. Who gives a STUFF? But to strip them of their right to do so……….that is just WAY BEYOND THE PALE. John Key, stick to “We will repeal this legislation”. Not some rewording a la the anti-smacking Gestapo law.
April 16th, 2008 at 2:45 pm
This is a cynical move by Dunne. Sensing that the wind has changed he now wants to have a bob both ways.
April 16th, 2008 at 2:45 pm
Dunne should be flogged in Ohariu. He is out of touch and irrelevant. This statement is offensive. I as a member of his electorate wrote to him about this and directed his attention to DPF’s writings.
Problem is the Nats won’t take him on in Ohariu. They stupidly think he will be useful post election. The sooner the Nats realise that they should eliminate the cringe making poltical jokes that are United and NZF, the sooner a well balanced centre right govt can get to work in bringing Kiwis back home.
Dunne can’t do that.
April 16th, 2008 at 2:46 pm
Dunne was on the select committee, and had he paid attention to even some of the submissions this would not be news to him. I suggest he returns to us his pay for last year as he clearly slept through most of it.
April 16th, 2008 at 2:49 pm
Politicians only want to stay in power. They have no interest in allowing the Courts, or any outside group that might hinder them in this quest have a say.
Their self-serving greed no longer astounds me, but it still offends.
April 16th, 2008 at 2:54 pm
This guy is an absolute horse’s arse.
How this self serving, fence sitting twot can even begin to open his self righteous mouth over this issue is beyond me.
As shown at the time, he voted for this legislation without even understanding it.
Next he’ll be trying to crawl up Key’s butt and really get me mad.
April 16th, 2008 at 2:54 pm
Dunne is just a four-letter word ending in ‘unt’ that isn’t allowed here. what a fucking hypocrite.
April 16th, 2008 at 2:55 pm
So Peter Dunne is thinking about getting everone together to talk about possibly closing the gate now that the horse has bolted.
I see Annette King is thinking about it providing all parties enter discussions in good faith.
Labour wouldn’t know a good faith discussion on electoral finance if it stood at the front of a hall and sang Kenny Rogers songs….badly.
April 16th, 2008 at 2:57 pm
Linda Reid: Dunne was on the select committee, and had he paid attention to even some of the submissions this would not be news to him.
Thank you Linda, I thought he was on the select committee but thought it wiser to check first.
Then it makes no sense for him to claim “No one, whether they were for the Act or against it, could have imagined the extent to which it is now intruding into every aspect of political life and the uncertainty it is causing for election officials, political parties, MPs and candidates.”
Hopefully somebody from the media will actually pick up on this ask the hairdo a few pointed questions.
April 16th, 2008 at 2:57 pm
Linda he didn’t sleep through at all. He miscalculated how badly this Law was written, and only at the eleventh hour did he suddenly ‘see the light’ when he saw his own electoral chances being tainted by association with this shoddy piece of work. Interesting now in an election year, when his fingers are still sticky, he suddenly wants cross-party consultation. Shame he was not so noble-minded when he was doing the shady secretive, self-interested backroom deal with Labour and her bed-fellows during the drafting process. God, what a wanker.
April 16th, 2008 at 2:59 pm
that fuckin TVNZ Worm has a lot to answer for!!!!!
Mr Sensible is a jerk off
April 16th, 2008 at 3:01 pm
Dear Lairbour and Helen,
John Keys asked a valid question today.
“What are you doing to run the country instead of ‘muck raking’?”
Helen Clark “Diddums”.
Is this all you can come up with for New Zealand???
This “behaviour” is appauling, disgraceful and shameful spectacle from our “leader”.
Clark stated on 1ZB last year: “I don’t muck rake”. “blah blah…is cancerous and corrosive”.
The irony is a bitter sweet testiment to the ruin created and felt within this fine land.
Please resign Helen. Save us all the hassle of having to vote you out. Save yourself the embarassment.
Love from,
A nation in disbelief.
New Zealand
April 16th, 2008 at 3:02 pm
When I saw this post I thought it said Dunne calls for a cross – dressing dance party on the EFA.
April 16th, 2008 at 3:07 pm
If the SC has listened to the submissions instead of taking their usual cheap low life pot shots that would have heard evidence as DPF and others presented that clearly stated what has happened would happen
Until they can into their heads that they are all conflicted there will never be a good solution.
This matter screams out for an independent hearing and a decision by independent persons.
The bozo pollies and that all of them dont deserve to have any say in the matter.
Damn it Its the peoples Parliament not their plaything as they all think it is.
As my submission said 3 person independent commission to take submissions from all and come up with a max of 3 options to be voted in a super referendum
not rocket science But for Christs sake keep the bloody pollies their party hack lackeys and the civil servants out of it.
April 16th, 2008 at 3:10 pm
Part of me wants Labour & poodles to be punished by having to struggle under the EFA in it’s present form until National gets into power and then hopefully they will have the guts to bin it. Unfortunately it’s probably going to cost us long suffering taxpayers in the long run if is not fixed fast for the upcoming electoral bloodbath and then dumped.
April 16th, 2008 at 3:10 pm
Oh By the way and not wishing to thread jack
I see the 9th Floor has ordered Plod to stop looking for the thief that stole Don Brashs emails
April 16th, 2008 at 3:14 pm
Actually, I think he did sleep through it. He chose to believe Annette King and everything Labour were saying, instead of doing the work and actually making his own decisions. He only changed his mind because he finally got it rammed through his skull that John Boscowan and co were telling the truth.
Either that or he’s a lying lickspittle who thinks he can, like Helen, make us all believe anything.
April 16th, 2008 at 3:17 pm
This is exactly the sort of thing that really really really REALLY fucks me off about the wankers in wellington. They lie. I do not believe that Dunne believes what he has said above. He simply must know that it is total bullshit, in which case he is a liar. The alternative is that he is a complete dumb bozo who failed miserably in his job over this EFA.
They were told over and over by all sorts of organisations (eg, Law Commission for one said the EFA was unworkable piece of shit. Would someone please ask Dunne why that advice was not heeded?).
They are beneath contempt when they act like this. Which is daily.
April 16th, 2008 at 3:21 pm
I agree with all comments so far – Dunne is the TVNZ worm and he needs to be chopped, diced and thrown away. When are the Nats going to start asserting themselves and at least start challenging the BS being spouted in the MSM. They can do that without affecting potential cooalition deals. My old mum hates Helen but she isn’t convinced she needs to vote Nat to get rid of them. That is Key’s biggest threat and the perception of strength he needs to build in people’s minds will not happen overnight. Labour are still calling the shots and he needs to change that. I am concerned that this is the RWC all over again and we may not get the result we want when the big game arrives. The immediate consequence will be a transferrance of allegance to the Wallabies.
April 16th, 2008 at 3:23 pm
They just HAVE to change the FTA. It’s bloody disaster. I’m working with a candidate, and it’s so hard to know what we can do, what we have to count as an election expenses and how much we have to allocate from the total budget to non-cash expenses.
I wouldn’t be an authorizing agent for anything.
April 16th, 2008 at 3:25 pm
Slightly OT, but has United Happy Clappy paid back the money yet?
April 16th, 2008 at 3:27 pm
“I see the 9th Floor has ordered Plod to stop looking for the thief that stole Don Brashs emails”
What else would you expect from Aunty Helen’s keystone plod hoppers!!
April 16th, 2008 at 3:28 pm
He’s paid some back and committed to paying the rest.
April 16th, 2008 at 3:32 pm
buggerlugs
I doubt that United Nofuture would have two brass razzoes to rub together, let alone actual cash to pay back the money stolen.
April 16th, 2008 at 3:35 pm
Would you take an IOU from a used EFB salesman
April 16th, 2008 at 3:47 pm
Nope. The Government had a chance to put forward a serious package of campaign finance reforms, after a serious and credible process of consultation with interested parties both inside and outside Parliament. Serious concerns could have been seriously addressed at any point in the legislative process, rather than the badly drafted hash that resulted.
So fuck you, Peter. You supported this mess until (literally) the last moment. You helped make this bed. Lie in it.
April 16th, 2008 at 3:55 pm
Dunne. For.
April 16th, 2008 at 4:03 pm
Reading Craig’s comments the word that springs to mind is clearly
“Diddums”
April 16th, 2008 at 4:06 pm
Reading your comments sonic the word coward springs to mind.
April 16th, 2008 at 4:07 pm
HEEEYYYYYY! SONIC! Where have ya been? Haven’t seen you for ages!
Are you providing material for John Key’s victory speech come november then?
April 16th, 2008 at 4:08 pm
Make the most of the last few months on the 9th floor sonic
Dunne. For.
Clark. Too.
Keys. Won.
Hide. Five. Percent.
April 16th, 2008 at 4:10 pm
sonic has been plunged into a huge socialist indoctrination machine that allows internet cowards to talk communist propaganda. It has been based on an alien plant in another galaxy.
April 16th, 2008 at 4:14 pm
Ah Sonic, reduced to sniping from the sidelines now that your beloved EFA has turned out to be the great big ass that many of us predicted.
Craig – you are right Mr Common Sense (or Deputy Head Hall Monitor) has come to the party far too late to be credible and frankly he just doesn’t have Peters’ ability to shamelessly rewrite history and self-promote a few months out from the election.
Another practical example of why MMP is a failure.
April 16th, 2008 at 4:28 pm
Sorry for thread jack but I can’t resist … listening to Helen Clark doing her donkey braying impersonation last night was bad enough but it was certainly trumped by Michael Cullen outsmarting himself with his tirade against funding support for the independent school sector only to have John Key turn it back on him in spades by reminding all and sundry that Cullen was a product of Christs College … so, does that make Cullen an elitist rich prick as well as an arrogant bastard?
April 16th, 2008 at 4:29 pm
I see this as Dunne beginning his disassociation from Labour in preparation for the election later this year. I suspect he wants to try and convince the good burghers of Ohariu that he didn’t spend the last 3 years lying back and thinking of England while Helen and Michael had their wicked way with him and with the country.
So the big question is whether those Ohariu voters are dumb enough to fall for “Mr Sensible’s” act. Because it is an act. He sat on the Select Committee. He saw a large number of written & oral submissions from highly-credible submitters (ie not nutcases) who warned that this would be the outcome of the EFB. He ignored the warnings of the Electoral Commission that said the bill was unworkable. He sold his vote to Labour for twenty pieces of silver and a Crown limo.
So … is National going to campaign hard against him in Ohariu? Are they going to remind the voters of Ohariu about his voting record over the last 3 years? Are they going to try to tip him out? Or do we have to wait till he decides to retire before we get this duplicitous bouffant out of the House?
April 16th, 2008 at 4:31 pm
JK must tell Dunny and Liugi to Foxtrot Oscar and stand a strong candidate in Ohariu. If the Nats get themselves tied up with either they will be one term government for sure.
Luigis a loose cannon and Dunnys past his used by date Both will be a huge liability to the Nats implementing the RIGHT and I do mean that most sincerely folks policy post Election 08
April 16th, 2008 at 4:37 pm
That is the $64,000 question Virtualmark
He was probably thinking about an associate Ministers superannuation package though, not England.
April 16th, 2008 at 4:47 pm
I agree with most of the previous posts. There is only one logical course of action and that is to repeal the act completely.
April 16th, 2008 at 4:59 pm
Unless change occurs, this country is clearly going to the wrack and ruin.
The point though is do we risk an election which would, noting the corruptive patterns of Liarbour, is prone to rigging and rule changing or does parliamentary opposition (or the nation) pursue a Vote of No Confidence.
The root cause of all of this has been a display of behaviours by our deeply troubled “leader” however, lets analyse these behaviours.
According to the American Psychological Association, people with narcissistic personality disorder display a chronic and pervasive pattern of grandiosity, deep need for admiration, and lack of empathy. These characteristics ironically deliver “cancerous” and “corrosive” collateral damage to anyone or anything (our country) associated to them.
Helen Clark displays the classic characteristics of a narcissist however, has proven to be a dangerous constituent in control of our fine country. She needs to be ousted. A vote of no-confidence through parliament is probably a very good place to start.
The implications to New Zealand of her remaining in office would be severe.
Let us consider, how many acts, bills, actions, behaviours, as a result of Helen Clark’s dictatorship ruling can you relate, identify and associate to any or all of these classic narcissistic characteristics?
1. Self-centered. Her needs are paramount, the country less so.
2. No remorse for mistakes or misdeeds.
3. Unreliable, undependable, agenda driven.
4. Does not care about the consequences of her actions. Consistent excuses.
5. Projects her faults on to others. High blaming behavior; never her fault.
6. Little if any conscience.
7. Insensitive to needs and feelings of others.
8. Uses a front (persona) to impress and exploit others.
9. Low stress tolerance. Easy to anger and rage.
10. People are to be manipulated for her corrupt needs.
11. Rationalises easily. Twists conversation to her gain at other’s expense.
12. If trapped, keeps talking, changes the subject or gets angry.
13. Easily prone to pathological lying.
14. Tremendous need to control situations, conversations, others.
15. No real values. Mostly situational.
16. Often perceived as caring and understanding and uses this to manipulate.
17. Prone to angry outbursts, mercurial, moods.
18. Conversation controller. Must have the first and last word.
19. Is very slow to forgive others.
20. Hangs onto and people with vile resentment. “Cancerous and Corrosive” etc….
21. Secret life. Also known as Harry.
22. Likes annoying others. Likes to create chaos, always warring and disruptive for no reason.
23. Moody – switches from nice to anger without much provocation.
24. Repeatedly fails to honor obligations. Corrupt.
25. Seldom expresses appreciation.
26. Grandiose. Convinced she knows more than others and is correct in all she does.
27. Lacks ability to see how she comes across to others.
28. Defensive when confronted with examples of her behaviour.
29. Never her fault.
30. Uses threats, intimidations to keep others close to her.
31. Highly contradictory. (anti-Smacking Bill)
32. Convincing. Must convince people to side with her.
33. Hides her real self.
34. Veiled kindness only if she’s getting from you what she wants.
35. She has to be right (especially when she is wrong).
36. She announces, not discusses. She tells, not asks.
37. Does not discuss openly, has her own hidden agenda.
38. Controls money of others but spends freely on nothing useful. Pledge Card.
39. Unilateral condition of, “I’m OK and justified so I don’t need to hear your position or ideas”
40. Always feels misunderstood.
41. You feel utterly miserable with or around this person. She drains you (and the country).
42. Does not listen because she does not care.
43. Is not interested in problem-solving more problem creating.
44. Believes she is good at reading people, so she can manipulate them.
Bottom line: It’s time for the nation to examine the pay-off or importance of its relationship with this person.
A motion of no confidence, also called a “vote of no confidence”, a censure motion, a no-confidence motion, or simply a confidence motion, is a parliamentary motion traditionally put before a parliament by the opposition (or a majority – reflecting the mood of our nation and the antics of an ohhh sooo looney left) in the hope of defeating an embarrassed government.
Typically, when parliament votes no confidence, or where it fails to vote confidence, a government must either:
do the only decent thing and resign, or seek a parliamentary dissolution and at the very least request a general election.
April 16th, 2008 at 5:00 pm
OMG the poodle is off the leash and running loose in the streets – the Labour dog catcher will be along soon to take him into the pound… He’ll be clipped and neuted and returned to Helen’s lap where he now belongs in a day or two.
April 16th, 2008 at 5:05 pm
Katrina Shanks is standing in Ohariu-Belmont. Any thoughts?
She polled 3rd in the last election but National took the party vote in the electorate comfortably.
April 16th, 2008 at 5:19 pm
Sonic: If the Prime Minister and Leader of the House spent as much time and energy on sound legislation and they do on honing snide baby-talk bitchery to fling at people who have the gall to disagree with them we might all be a lot better off.
April 16th, 2008 at 5:21 pm
No, Ross, it makes Doctor Cullen a perfectly balanced individual — he’s got chips on both shoulders.
April 16th, 2008 at 5:22 pm
Just a thought.
If the Budget is distributed outside of the house will it be caught by the EFA?
Poetic justice if it is.
April 16th, 2008 at 6:46 pm
I wonder when Craig is going to take his own advice?
After all diddums, you were the one ranting and swearing at someone for having the gall to disagree with you!
Sorry all for not being around much, I still read the site of course, but the comments threads are getting a bit too deranged to bother with.
April 16th, 2008 at 7:04 pm
after taking it up the whoopsee for 2 years, its time to become a statesman again. whoohoo.
April 16th, 2008 at 8:05 pm
slightlyrighty Add karma Subtract karma +1 Says:
April 16th, 2008 at 5:05 pm
Katrina Shanks is standing in Ohariu-Belmont. Any thoughts?
Well SR,
Haven’t seen much of her around the electorate. Word is she will campaign in a “token”, manner for the seat, whilst working hard for the substantial List vote in Ohariu.
I believe this is a mistake. This should be a strong centre right seat looking at National/ACT list votes over the past few elections. Having Dunne as MP and propping up Labour makes a mockery of MMP.
April 16th, 2008 at 8:21 pm
Hang-on, passing laws is their JOB… isn’t this why they get the salary and privileges?
Now they want to take extra time to fix their cock-up. Time that should be used for other more pressing matters.
I say no. Maybe if those responsible have to suffer the consequences of their earlier efforts, it might teach those (that survive the up-coming election) a valuable lesson in doing a job PROPERLY.
April 16th, 2008 at 8:24 pm
http://monkeyswithtypewriter.blogspot.com/ Dunne a principled politician? ‘Pass the Sick-Bag’. ps what sonic said.
April 16th, 2008 at 9:03 pm
The Leader of the Common Sense Party has this in common with his colleague the Labour Common Sense Minister Hon Annette King – Hypocrisy
Today in the House Hon ANNETTE KING stated in answer to a question by Ron Mark:
“No, I cannot give the member an answer, mainly because of the principle of judicial independence in New Zealand, whereby I cannot direct a judge to provide that member with sentencing notes—or with anything else, for that matter. I think we really do need to uphold that judicial independence, so that we do not have politicians telling judges what to do, or, for that matter, politicians telling the police what to do. I think that is an important constitutional principle in New Zealand, and I am sure that the member understands that only too well”.
Yet we had an example of the Police advisor to the Police Commissioner to file complaints relating to fraud, corruption etc. thus:
(a) Letter 25 May to Rt Hon Helen Clark: SUBJECT: FRAUD; FORGERY, CORRUPTION (PUBLIC SECTOR). A very serious allegation
(b) Letter from Dinah Okeby (Helen’s private secreyary to the Secretary Police Commissioner. “Referred for your information”. This is virtually a direction to take no action. Political interference?
(c) Letter from Gerry Cunneen, Police Adviser to the Minister of Police.” The attached paper/s refer to alleged Fraud, forgery, corruption (public Sector). No reply is required to this correspondence”.
Surely Blatant Political direction?
April 16th, 2008 at 9:56 pm
reading between the lines, I suggest Annette King is keen to ‘clean house’ post Helen.
April 16th, 2008 at 10:44 pm
Sonic: Not interested in playing tonight, dear. You and your straw men are just a little too demented to bother with.
April 16th, 2008 at 11:03 pm
I wonder if the DAFT Party will be invited to these talks. The DAFT Party policy about the EFA involves scrapping it and replacing it with the Party Expenditure Act, or PEA. PEA would involve a complex series of algebraic equations which would randomly give all registered parties random amounts of funding based soley on random factors such as the number of vowels in all the candidates names, the weather, and what I had for breakfast. PEA would also double as a way that students can get funding to throw kick ass parties.
April 16th, 2008 at 11:20 pm
DAFT, that makes a lot more sense than Dunne’s idea.
April 16th, 2008 at 11:30 pm
Why settle for a thousand band-aids? Kill the
BillAct.April 17th, 2008 at 1:23 am
Check out DAFT’s solution to the EFA here. As reid says, it makes a lot more sense than Dunne’s idea, which makes me wonder if we’re all in the wrong party.