Parliamentary Service proposes to limit pre-election spending

The Ministry of Justice has just released to me (thanks to the officials) under the OIA the background papers on electoral finance proposals to date. Still working my way through them, but one stands out as interesting.

It is a paper from the Parliamentary Service dated 2 September 2009 on aligning the definitions of what is election advertising for both parliamentary and Electoral Act purposes.

It reveals that the Parliamentary Service proposes that the standard definition of explicit electioneering (for purpose of being able to use parliamentary funding) will continue to be narrowly defined (the status quo is no explicit solicitation of votes, money or members) but that during the regulated period this will change to a broader persuasive definition.

This is a very good move, as it would not allow pledge cards and the like to be funded during the regulated period. In fact it would prevent parliamentary funding (during the regulated period) any publications that might be seen to persuade someone to support a party.

This is in the fact the position I have long advocated. It would be too restrictive to have the broader definition through the entire three year electoral cycle (it would be unworkable and probably ban MPs newsletters) but once you get close to an election, then any material which is persuasive would not be allowed.

Now this is only the proposal of the Parliamentary Service, and has yet to be adopted by the Parliamentary Service Commission itself. Hopefully they will do so.

If the regulated period is set to start 1 August in election year, it would mean the status quo applies up until 1 August 2011, but after 1 August 2011 the Parliamentary Service could refuse to approve funding for any material that is seen to be persuading people to support a party. This will limit a party’s ability to use taxpayer money to find their election campaigns.