Police slap TPM with wet bus ticket

Radio NZ reports:

Police have issued a formal warning over Te Pāti Māori’s failure to file audited financial statements to the Electoral Commission last year.

The party filed an incomplete 2023 statement in mid-December, well after the July deadline.

Once again the Police just make electoral law toothless. The accounts were due by 30 June. The Electoral Act states that the party secretary commits an offence with a fine up to $40,000 if they file their return between 1 July and 23 July, unless they have a reasonable excuse.

Further if the accounts are filled after 23 July, then it is a corrupt practice unless they have a reasonable excuse. That carries $100,000 fine and up to two years in prison.

“When the financial statements were filed on 16 December, the party told us that they had been sent through to the auditors for the audit report to be prepared, and that final versions of the financial statements and audit report would be provided,” the Commission’s manager or legal, regulation and policy Kristina Temel said.

“We followed up with Te Pāti Māori [in February] and on 12 February were advised the audit report was still being prepared.”

So two months after they filed their financial statements (that were five months late) they still haven’t provided the audit report which is a legal requirement.

BusinessDesk reported last week the donations listed in the financial statements were also $5792.58 less than had been reported in the donations and loans return the party filed in May last year.

And the figures in the statements don’t match their statutory donations return.

Asked if any charges would be dropped if the party submitted its audited statement – albeit late – police said they considered the matter resolved.

This is the really outrageous part. The Police have said the issue is resolved, despite the audit statement not being provided. So the Police have effectively told TPM they can ignore the Electoral Commission with impunity.

“Police take allegations of election irregularity seriously. We are satisfied the Police response in relation to this matter was appropriate.”

Do you don’t. The Police have done a terrible job with electoral law breaches since at least 2005. It is well past time electoral law enforcement was removed from them.