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Electoral Finance Bill – Law Society

  • September 27th, 2007

Labour, the Greens, NZ First and United Future [originally this post mistakenly implied the Maori Party wanted the Bill to proceed] got no comfort from today’s submissions on the iniquitous Electoral Finance Bill. 

John Boscawen vowed to pursue and fund a campaign right through to the election. He is willing to go to jail, but as he intends to be absolutely above board he is comforted by the fact that he should face only a fine of $30,000, because he will not be deemed ‘corrupt’.

Law Society President John Marshall’s approach was almost as forthright at least by the dignified standards of the Law Society. John’s gentle manner should not be mistaken for lack of opinions or courage. He is the son of Sir John Marshall, member for Wellington, whose maiden speech was a dedication to defining and upholding classical liberal freedom. I quoted Sir John in my maiden speech. 

That bluntness in the Law Society’s submissions is extraordinary for the Society.

Comments

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  • Graeme
  • September 28th, 2007
  • 12:58 pm

The Maori Party opposed the EFB’s first reading. You sure you’re not confusing them with United Future?

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I have gravely traduced the Maori Party. The Greens’ Metiria Turei was reported as hostile to submitters against the Bill. I must have mentally converted her frequent claims to represent Maori opinion into membership of the party that actually has some legitimacy in that regard.

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  • LIndsay
  • September 29th, 2007
  • 10:12 am

Anybody who knows John Boscawen will know he means it.

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  • Graeme
  • September 29th, 2007
  • 1:17 pm

Having sat through a large number of the submissions, I don’t think Metiria was all that hostile – certainly far short of David Benson-Pope.

Mostly her questions were directed to those who feared the bill’s impact on their general work asking “if the definition of election advertising was changed so that instead of being taking a position on a proposition it only dealt with direct election advertising, would your opposition to the bill be allayed?”

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