We think you should know...

how the Electoral Finance Bill (EFB) will affect the voice of Family First and other pro-family pro-life groups, churches, and community organisations.

Briefly :
1. The regulated period of all of election year remains one of the world’s longest at 30% of an electoral cycle
In Canada it is 6 – 8 weeks only for third parties.
In the UK it is 1 year but the electoral cycle is 5 years, and the spending cap is over $600,000!!
In Australia , similar to our current law

2. Third parties are restricted from advocating in all of election year to vote for or against parties on particular issues such as marriage, abortion, anti-smacking law etc. For example Greenpeace could not spend more than $10,000 a month advocating a vote against parties who do not support Kyoto. Family First could not spend more than $10,000 a month to highlight family issues (e.g. conscience votes over the last 2 terms) or encourage people to vote for pro-life or pro-marriage candidates. Difficult when a group is speaking up on  number of issues!

The spending limit of $120,000 is effectively $10,000 per month . To give you an idea of costs, a full page colour ad in the  Sunday Star Times is $32,000. A 1/2 page ad in the Dominion Post is $6,300. A 1/2 page ad in the NZ Herald is $15,000. Sending a letter to every household in NZ (1.4 million homes) is $112,000 - $8,000 left to print your message - yeah right!!

3. No right of reply for people, groups or churches attacked in an election campaign . You can spend only $12,000 nationally defending yourself if you or your organisation is attacked during a campaign as third party registrations close on writ day (January 1).  By closing third party registrations before candidate nominations close, a local community or church group would be restricted to spending $1,000 per month opposing a last minute candidate whose views they find repugnant, or who attacks your group.

4. You cannot make an anonymous donation to groups like Family First over $5,000 for political advocacy

5.  All forms of political advocacy which promote votes for or against a party (or candidate) have to have a name and residential address supplied – even for placards, e-mails, speaking at street corners, posters, chalk on pavement !!  Speaking into a megaphone is a regulated election year activity. The definition of publishing an election advertisement is extended to include the catchall “bring to the notice of the public in any other manner” which will include speaking in public. This is obviously far more draconian than just limiting spending (as was the argument for the changes in the first place!!!!)

6. Anonymous political advocacy on much of the Internet is outlawed e.g. posting comments on Family First's website

But the government is protected
7. Parliamentary expenditure which was clearly electioneering under the existing Electoral Act (such as pledge cards) is now exempt from the spending caps

Source - http://www.kiwiblog.co.nz/