HoS on Electoral Finance Bill

The Herald on Sunday labels the Electoral Finance Bill an affront to freedom of speech.  Some extracts:

Legislation passed to address specific problems is almost invariably bad law. So it is with the Electoral Finance Bill, which is an egregious challenge to democracy and our freedom to express political opinions.

It is hard to imagine a piece of legislation more ill-conceived or repugnant to the New Zealand version of democracy. 

The HoS also understands the critical issue – the legislation is so flawed that it can not be made acceptable by a select committee.

Justice Minister Mark Burton – echoed by the Prime Minister – has responded to the chorus of disapproval from lobby groups, constitutional experts, media commentators and the Government’s political opponents by coughing and mumbling that the bill will undergo amendment after consideration by a select committee whose deliberations will, in turn, be informed by public submission. But that is somewhat worse than no answer at all. Select committees exist to make fine adjustments to legislation or – more often – to finesse their political management so as to ensure they have adequate support when they are reported back to the House. They can also ensure that laws have a decent burial when they are euthanased in the committee room. They do not exist to redesign, clause by clause, legislation as shoddy as this.

The bill must be killed.  Simple as that.