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National will not proceed with electoral law panel

Bill English MP

National Party Deputy Leader

 

6 September 2008

National will not proceed with electoral law panel

National will not proceed with the electoral law panel appointed by Labour and the Greens, says National Party Deputy Leader Bill English.

“Labour and the Greens have learned nothing from three years embroiled in controversy over electoral law, including their anti-democratic and draconian Electoral Finance Act.

“It has become clear that should they be re-elected, they intend to continue in their partisan, self-serving ways.

“The only way forward is a multi-party process that ensures no political party can screw the scrum in their own favour. 

“The EFA was passed by a Labour-led majority and strongly opposed by National and others.  It has been an unmitigated mess, and has been roundly criticised by the chief executive of the organisation that is supposed to oversee it.

“National has now not been consulted on the appointments to this electoral law panel, nor the process it will follow.

“This election will give voters a choice between electoral law biased by left wing parties and backed with taxpayer funding for political parties, or a multi-party agreement based on fair rules that encourage people to take part in elections.”

Mr English says Labour and the Greens need to answer questions about the panel.

“These are significant appointments, made within the three months of a general election.  Labour has flagrantly broken the convention around such appointments*.

“The public is sick of seeing Labour screw the scrum in its favour with electoral law.  First it was the illegal pledge card spending, then the EFA, and now a partisan review panel has been appointed in a process that involved nobody else.”

Ends

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