National to officially ditch the EFA

National announced yesterday that they are going to ditch the anti-free speech Electoral Finance Act which thousands of Kiwis protested over, including yours truly:

National Party Deputy Leader Bill English says all New Zealanders with an interest in free speech will welcome John Key's confirmation today that a National-led Government will repeal the oppressive Electoral Finance Act.

"This is a self-serving law, passed in haste, and designed to silence Labour's critics in election year.  National will end the farce."

Mr English is commenting after the release of the National Party's electoral law policy was released today. 

"The Electoral Commission and the Law Society have expressed serious reservations about the impact of the EFA on free speech and freedom of expression.  Labour has belittled these concerns.

"The Electoral Finance Act has been a total shambles and those parties who supported it are now all regretting they did so.  We do hope they embrace the chance to fix it."

National will move to repeal the Electoral Finance Act 2007 immediately after the election, but retain the provisions around the transparency of donations.

The old sections from the Electoral Act 1993 will be reinstated, and the Electoral Finance Act sections relating to donations, will be inserted into the Electoral Act 1993.

"National concluded long ago that there needed to be more transparency around donations.  We were genuinely surprised when Labour failed to put in any controls around donations when the law was initially drafted.

"We will retain those provisions from the EFA, and reform electoral law through a process that involves all parliamentary parties and the public in a fair and timely manner.

"When electoral watchdogs say they can't understand the rules, when the law society says the Act is stifling free speech, when MPs have no clear steer on what is an election advertisement – that is banana republic time.  This law should never have been passed and will be repealed by National."

A good clear policy for a confused badly drafted law.

Related Political Animal reading

Electoral Finance Act March Mar 9, 2008
Electoral Finance Bill Vote
NZ losses democratic freedom
Mike Moore turns the knife
List of MPs who voted for Act
Cartoon and comment
Auckland Protest against EFB
The purpose of the Bill is clear

To view National's electoral law summary visit: http://national.org.nz/files/2008/electoral_law.pdf

c Political Animal 2008

I think I love you Sir Bobby

My faith in sensible, comical,intelligent "rich pricks" has been restored by Bob Jones and his promise to purposefully break the filthy, socialist anti democratic Electoral Finance Act by using his own hard earned dollars to mount an advertising campaign against the fascists in the Labour Party Government.

"This is the most despicable thing I think I have seen in my lifetime in this country, I really do, certainly by any Government... this overwhelms me. I cannot believe it happened." Bob Jones 2008

Having lived through the fascist Muldoon era of the late 1970s- to early 80s for Bobby to say that is really nailing the point home to those of you who are waivering on the EFA's intentions and the hatred that Labour have for the democratic system and those that value not only political freedom but their personal freedoms as well.

Political Animal Electoral Finance Act coverage

2008 Electoral Finance Act protest

Electoral Finance Act March Mar 9, 2008

Electoral Finance Bill Vote

NZ losses democratic freedom

Mike Moore turns the knife

List of MPs who voted for Act

Cartoon and comment

2007 Auckland Protest against EFB

The purpose of the Bill is clear

For those of you old enough to remember, Bob ran for office in the 1984 election just to oust National's Muldooon and succeeded. Sadly what he did back then by using his own money to run for office is now illegal because of the EFA and I guess that is one of the reasons for his current tilt at those in office.

Opposition from all sectors of the political sphere is growing against this Act and even Labour voters have been showing their opposition on all forms of media, especially the better blogs , talkback and when protesting around the country.

This blog supports Sir Bobby and will be keeping you all up to date in his fight to keep these knuckle dragging collectivists from inflicting more attacks on the freedoms of this country and its individuals.

c Political Animal 2008

Helengate: Retreat while you are behind

c Emmerson 2008



Related Reading

Electoral watchdog looks at websites
Blog: It's time for real answers, Winston
Blog: Peters fury over handling of millionaire donation story
'No-one's talking about deporting Herald editor'
Helen Clark:"silly campaign"

Watch Video: Winston's outburst

New Zealand Herald Feature: Democracy under attack

Continuing with her media attack this week, the mother of the nation, Ms Clark drew on the similarities made by journalists, also by Political Animal, between the ousting of a Journo from Fiji this week and Clark's paranoid attack on the media and especially the NZ Herald this week.

She, however, didn't see the obvious similarities that the New Zealand public saw emphasised by this quote from the Prime Minister:

"Democracy of course involves elections but it also involves freedom of media and freedom of speech and you're not going to be able to have a proper democratic process and elections in a years time unless those basic freedoms are upheld."

Earlier on this week Clark's paranoia escalated to lithium sized proportions when she attacked the Herald for running an active campaign for the last 91 years to discredit Labour and that the papers revelations last year over the anti freedom and anti democratic Electoral Finance Act were motivated by greed and a lust to retain advertising on the Herald's part.

Clark of course forgets that the majority of the media also railed against her fascist bill and most sensible people will tell you that the Herald is far left of centre, mostly favours Labour and has done so for her 9 years in the big swiveling chair.

Her Husband, Peter Davis, has dropped his apron and rubber gloves to pen another opus to the NZ Herald over what he calls the papers "happy mischief and headlines" and their attacks on Labour, Owen Glenn, and his rather uniquely attractive wife.

"The Herald has had great fun at the expense of a wealthy donor and a political party.

Fair enough, perhaps, but does this incident not underline how perilous it is for our system of electoral financing to be so dependent - as it is - on (generally secretive) wealthy individuals and corporates?

Electoral financing in most well-ordered countries relies on a judicious mix of expenditure limits, state subsidies, individual contributions, and some transparent, larger donations.

Is it not about time the Herald did some even-handed reviews of the area, rather than just foment happy mischief and headlines?"

Dr Peter Davis, Kingsland

Now I'm not sure if Dr Davis has stopped taking his medication but he writes about "secretive, wealthy" people giving money to political parties but that is the very thing the subject of his letter is about. Glenn loaned $100,000.00 secretly to the Labour Party in 2005!

Now I'm not against individuals or corporates giving any amount of money to a political party, there should be no limits, as is the case in many civilised democratic countries, but I do agree with Davis that those donations should be made in a transperent way.

"some transparent, larger donations"

Davis is clearly referring to Owen Glenn's $500,000.00 donation to Labour for the funding of the 2005 election and it is also significant to the 2008 election because Labour added a specific clause into the Electoral Finanace Act to allow donations for expat individuals such as Glen, who live mostly overseas, to give to the party.


"Is it not about time the Herald did some even-handed reviews of the area"

Obviously Davis shares this view with his good wife and they seem simpatico on such matters.

What galls about New Zealand's first couple attacking the media and the Herald specifically, is that they are merely reporting what has transpired. It happened, get over it, move on, its getting bloody tired and quite frankly not a very statesman like way to behave.

Because you don't agree with it, it doesn't mean you should try and shut down debate by throwing your pitiful socialist labels around like a drunken teenager ejaculating on his bedsheets.

I'm embarrassed for her and her administration and look for more in a leader.

Labour's chief lap-dog Winston "Baubles" Peters also got into the act today. He abused media in a press conference that looked like something from "Yes Minister" crossed with "The Osbourns" and brought back distant memories of a drunken Rob Muldoon, Prime Minister back in the 1970s -80s.

Did Winston have a drink or two on the plane back from meeting with Condoleezza Rice in Korea or did he have a quick swig of duty free in the Airport toilets prior to going before the cameras?

Of course first class travel, five star hotels and late nights can be very stressful.

This attack on the media from the left just has to stop, not for their sake, because it is clearly comedy gold for the media, but for the sake of the Labour Party and its prospects for the coming election.

They should be worried.


Related Political Animal reading

Helen Shoots herself in both feet
Helen Clark's slipping Teflon leaves her naked
Labour's Teflon in Tatters
Clark's rudeness to Glenn plumbs new depths
Colmar Brunton Poll and comment
Labour Party election funding murky at best
Electoral Finance Bill: The purpose is clear
Owen Glenn given the cold shoulder
Snouts in the trough bent out of shape
The Owen Glenn story: Singing the same tune but hitting a bum note
Victim of Electoral Finance Act forced to close website
Mike Moore turns knife on Electoral Finance Bill
Electoral Finance Bill: Day of Protest Auckland Nov 17, 2007

c Political Animal 2008