Two Conservative candidates referred to police

The Electoral Commission has referred two Conservative Party candidates to the police.

On 12 April 2013, the Electoral Commission referred Larry Baldock and Peter Redman, Conservative Party of New Zealand candidates at the 2011 general election, to Police for filing a false Candidate Election Expenses and Donations Return.

It is an offence under section 205N of the Electoral Act 1993 for a candidate to file a false return.

The Electoral Commission has also referred Larry Baldock for paying, or arranging another person to pay, election expenses in excess of the $25,000 maximum specified in section 205C of the Electoral Act 1993. This is an offence under section 205F of the Act.

As this matter is now with the Police, the Electoral Commission will not be commenting further.

Referrals to the police for electoral offences don’t usually go very far but they should.

The rules about donations and expenses could be improved but that’s no excuse for not adhering to them.

 

Let’s have a referendum on . . .

. . . whether we should have a referendum on whether we should waste money having a referendum on whether or not referenda should be binding.

Or how about a referendum asking: is a man who wants a referendum on whether referenda should be binding more interested in furthering his own political career than in the outcome?

Larry Baldock doesn’t like the government’s response to the child discipline referendum. But if he wants to change the law he’d be far better gathering evidence on how it’s not working which might lead to a change, than grandstanding which won’t.

Oh and that’s real evidence of real problems with the law, not acting as cheerleader for a parent who administers anything more than a smack which is transitory and trifling.