Electoral reform done properly
I’m delighted with the process outlined by Simon Power to consider electoral finance issues.
Readers will recall that Labour, Greens and NZ First negotiated the Electoral Finance Bill in secret. There was no opportunity for any public input until it reached select committee. And we also all know how terribly flawed that bill was.
So what is National proposing as a process:
- An issues paper released in May 2009
- Public Forums in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch
- Submissions on Issues Paper
- Govt releases summary of submissions
- Govt then releases a proposed policy for reform in August 2009
- Submissions on proposed policy
- Govt releases summary of submissions
- Then Govt introduces bill into Parliament in late 2009 or early 2010, with normal select committee process
I’m really pleased that they are doing two, not one, stages of public consultation – on both the issues paper and on the proposed policy – that way it is all no surprises.
Also very pleased to see public forums are scheduled. I had been talking to some NGOs about organising some forums to fit in with the consultation. It is even better that the Government itself will organise such forums. I encourage people to take advantage of the opportunity to have a say.
The following topics are being considered:
- Guiding Principles
- Candidate and Party Funding
- Campaign Spending
- Advertising
- Parallel Campaigning
- Monitoring & Compliance
Off-topic for the review is:
- The MMP electoral system
- Maori representation
- Structure of electoral agencies
- Electoral roll administration
- Electorate boundaries
- Local Government electoral law
I agree these are best dealt with separetly. I do hoep the Government will look at some of these issues independently and consider changes – especially to the electoral agencies structure and electoral roll administration.
April 2nd, 2009 at 1:08 pm
I hope the Nats remain firmly grounded in the primacy of the principle of freedom of speech. Just giving us more generous spending limits and time limits and the like, compared to the Heleban, I would regard as a betrayal.
April 2nd, 2009 at 1:30 pm
It is good to see them approaching this in an open, non-secret fashion. We’re seeing which parties are committed to fair and open elections. And it sure as heck aint Labour or the Greens :grins:
April 2nd, 2009 at 1:41 pm
Excellent, now watch the Green party fight to keep anon donations and secret trusts.
April 2nd, 2009 at 1:51 pm
Is the referendum on MMP still on the cards for the 2011 election?
[DPF: Before I think]
April 2nd, 2009 at 2:11 pm
Did we ever find out who was feeding anonymous multi-zeroed donations to the Greens from the UK? Any commies online?
April 2nd, 2009 at 2:14 pm
ha I imagine, much like the tax cuts, it will depend on how soon an imaginary crisis can be invented government.
April 3rd, 2009 at 4:30 am
Goodgod re: Greens’ money from UK – I could only hazard a guess, but it could’ve been bundled up donations/fundraising figures from the Kiwi diaspora in the UK. It seems that many of our OEing brethren get turned onto the green cause by the dirtiness of London… plus banning everything doesn’t seem so bad when you’re supporting that ban from the safety of another country. Not many of them seem to make the connection that they’d never have been allowed to fly all the way around the world (carbon) to pursue economic opportunities (free movement of labour) if the Greens actually had their way. I think it’s like when teenagers move out of home but hope strongly that their parents leave their room as it was instead of converting it to a better use.
April 3rd, 2009 at 5:32 am
The Broadcasting Act should be dealt with at the came time. Enough of the censorship of what can be broadcast on television by political parties. There should be no time or budget limit on advertising at all.