NZ Herald on Catt’s comments on EFA

The NZ Herald has reported on the comments by Electoral Commission CEO Helena Catt, which I blogged about yesterday.

The head of the Electoral Commission has warned that the law she is charged with overseeing is having a “chilling effect” on public participation in the election.

I would encourage people to keep that quote and at every Meet the Candidate’s Meeting they attend ask Labour, NZ First and Greens candidate a question along the lines of: “The CEO of the Electoral Commission has said the Electoral Finance Act is having a chilling effect on public participation in the election. Why did your party pass a law that has achieved the exact opposite of its stated intention – discouraging people from political involvement?”

Minister of Justice Annette King would not respond to Dr Catt’s comments, saying Dr Catt was an independent commissioner and “she’s entitled to say what she likes”.

Isn’t it sad when the Minister is actually unable to rebut the central proposition that her pet law has had a chilling effect on people’s participation in the electoral process?