Electoral Finance Act in action: Worse than we thought

"Labour's complicated and self serving Electoral Finance Act is turning out even worse than any of its critics expected," says National Party Deputy Leader Bill English.

"Labour set out to curb its critics and screw the scrum for the 2008 election. In the past week that stark reality has been laid in front of New Zealanders.

"A series of opinions from the Electoral Commission show how unfair Labour's anti-democratic legislation is."

For instance:

* Labour won't be prosecuted for breaking the rules but the next offender will be.
* Unions represented on Labour's ruling council can spend up to $120,000 on anti-National parallel campaigns.
* Authorities haven't investigated potentially illegal billboards put up by Labour support parties, the Greens and New Zealand First.

"The Electoral Finance Act has paralysed political parties and interest groups for the first three months of the year as we all try to work out what the rules actually mean in practice.

"All parties and interest groups have struggled with the ridiculous law, which treats the whole of election year like the last few months of an election campaign.

"As National predicted, anyone who wants to have a political opinion in election year needs a lawyer.

"Meanwhile, there is a heavy saturation of taxpayer-funded ads on TV every night promoting Labour's policies.

"Three months into the year, Labour's efforts to screw the scrum on political activity look to be working just as they intended."