Dunne on Electoral Finance Bill

Peter Dunne wrote a column today on the Electoral Finance Bill which ran in the Dominion Post.  It is great to read that he has been listening to the concerns of thousands of New Zealanders over this Bill, and how it will affect human rights in NZ.

As it stands, under the Bill’s provisions, almost any group that dares to express an opinion that could be construed as political (in that reflects upon the policies of one or other political party) is potentially caught and required to register as a third party. This is clearly absurd, and reflects a level of control over society that even the KGB would have struggled to match.

It is little wonder that groups like the Human Rights Commission and the Law Society have condemned the Bill as a massive attack on free speech.

Peter proposes a number of changes around the definition of advertising and the third party limit.  He says:

Unless the Electoral Finance Bill is radically rewritten along these lines, Labour will not get the support it needs to pass the legislation.

Now it is quite correct the bill does need radically rewriting.  In fact more radical than even what Peter says, as he has not mentioned the ridicolous 11 month period of regulated speech, which would apply for 30% of our lives.

But the key point is, that even if suitable radical amendments can be drafted and agreed to, it is then a radically different Bill.  And the public deserve the chance to have their say on a radically different Bill which will still regulate their rights to participate in the electoral process.  So what I hope Peter does, if he thinks the Bill is now acceptable, is to move that submissions on the amended bill be called for – because it’s common sense to let the public have their say.