The Taxpayers’ Union welcomes the Electoral Commission’s referral of NZ First Foundation donations to the Police (and in turn the Serious Fraud Office) – so the public can have confidence before this year’s election whether the Deputy Prime Minister or his Party’s officers have acted criminally.

Union spokesman Jordan Williams says, “Any New Zealander should be entitled to financially support whatever party or political cause they wish. But the way our system works is to require transparency for those who donate over an amount where Parliament has deemed there is a material risk of policy influence.”

“For donations to politicians, we must always be vigilant to ensure that money is following the policies, and policies are not following the money. That’s why upholding the disclosure regime we have in place is so important. While reasonable minds can differ on the size of the disclosure limits, the law must be followed, and be seen to be enforced.”

“The NZ First Foundation raises many questions about the ethics of the New Zealand First Party. The Police must not kick the can down the road on this one – they should ensure the investigation is concluded well prior to voting in September.”

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