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Show us the electoral bill amendments
Bill English MP
National Party Deputy Leader
21 November 2007
Show us the electoral bill amendments
National Party Deputy Leader Bill English says Labour should release any amendments it plans to make to its draconian Electoral Finance Bill so the public can have a fair chance to consider them.
“Labour shouldn’t try to keep them hidden. Annette King has said there will be amendments. It is important that the public and the Opposition get at least some opportunity to look at them before Parliament votes on them.”
Mr English says the process being used to railroad the Electoral Finance Bill into law has been an anti-democratic shambles from beginning to end.
“Yesterday we learned that New Zealanders shouldn’t bother to adhere to what’s written down in the law books and we should employ Labour’s ‘law of common sense’.
“Inevitably, this vindictive Government will apply its version of ‘common sense’ until it decides it doesn’t like what you’re saying. Then it will apply the law as written.”
Mr English says in the interests of democracy, Labour should spell out what repairs it plans to make to the bill at the eleventh hour.
“We know that parts of this bill were thrown together in anger and in haste. That is not the way to make laws that go to the heart of our political freedoms and our democracy.”
National remains committed to repealing the Electoral Finance Bill.
Ends
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