Today is the last day for public submissions on the Electoral Finance BillThis is the Bill that creates a licensing regime for political speech
( Read more... )
Oh, quite the contrary. While I am not privy to what passes through the Corridors Of Power, I can only assume something along these lines:
Enthusiastic junior staffer: "I just drafted this cool bill! It'll stop National getting huge anonymous donations!" EJS' boss (gently, in the manner of one dealing with an excitable child): "You know we get those too, right?" Not-quite-so-enthusiastic junior staffer: "D'oh!"
True. On the other hand I like some opacity in my lamentably self-serving politicians!
To say "We're going to fix the anonymous donation issue" and then just cheerfully roll forth legislation which says "Well, we haven't, but you can't complain about it in an election year without getting us to license you first" is pretty much the Machivellian equivalent of of dropping trau and shrieking MEET THE LOVE MONKEY.
One of the truely nasty bits IMO is that you can't even register (so you can spend $$) once the actual election process starts. So after the cutoff for registering passes, a candidate is nominated (nominations close later) and takes a position that you strongly disapprove of. You can't evev apply for permission to spend money arguing with them. Nice.
....
ARE THEY RETARDED?
Reply
Enthusiastic junior staffer: "I just drafted this cool bill! It'll stop National getting huge anonymous donations!"
EJS' boss (gently, in the manner of one dealing with an excitable child): "You know we get those too, right?"
Not-quite-so-enthusiastic junior staffer: "D'oh!"
Reply
To say "We're going to fix the anonymous donation issue" and then just cheerfully roll forth legislation which says "Well, we haven't, but you can't complain about it in an election year without getting us to license you first" is pretty much the Machivellian equivalent of of dropping trau and shrieking MEET THE LOVE MONKEY.
Reply
Lots of posts on the subject at
http://www.kiwiblog.co.nz/category/electoral-act
Reply
Reply
Leave a comment