Another late donation return

The Greens have disclosed a large donation from Bryan Forde, but appear to have done so later than required, and also broken the law.

Forde appears to be an Audiologist in Invercargill and he donated $300 in May 2007 and $20,000 on 3 April 2008. A further $4,450 was donated on 28 April 2008.

Now as at 3 April 2008 he had donated $20,300 over a 1 month period. s54 of the Electoral Finance Act says:

54(2) says:

Every financial agent must file with the Electoral Commission a return in respect of every party donation that—

(a) the financial agent knows is from a donor who in the 12 months immediately preceding the date of receipt of the donation (the last 12 months) has made 1 or more previous donations; and

(b) when aggregated with all previous donations received from the donor in the last 12 months exceeds $20,000.

54(6) also:

A return must be filed under subsection (1) or (2) within 10 working days of the donation being received by the financial agent.

Now the Greens were required to file a return within 10 working days, which was Thursday 17 April 2008. The Electoral Commission say they will publish them within three working days so if it went up today it appears to have only been filed on or after Tuesday 29 April 2008. That would suggest the Greens were 12 days late with disclosing the aggregated donation.

Curious minds may like to inquire as to why they appeared to have broken the law they so passionately defended and insisted on. Also why does a donor make an additional $4,450 donation a few weeks after a $20,000 donation?