Campaign broadcasting grants attract flak

Alliance president Matt McCarten has called for the Electoral Commission to be scrapped after it slashed the money his party gets for pre-election broadcasting.

Announcing yesterday that 14 parties will share $2.081 million of taxpayers' money, the commission gave the poorly polling Alliance $100,000 - $94,999 less than in 1999.

Allocations reflect the number of MPs a party has, its membership and its level of public support.

The Alliance, third-largest party in Parliament until it split apart, is miffed at getting less than the $166,300 allocated to NZ First.

The Greens and Act also get $166,300. National and Labour top the list with $615,000 each, more than half the allocation.

A $58,000 increase for NZ First caused widespread surprise because the Greens and Act both have more MPs and poll higher.

Mr McCarten said yesterday that those who made the decision did not understand politics, or were political appointees.

Only Labour and National are represented on the commission.

"We should scrap the commission," he said.

"It should be straight and fair like it is in other countries - based on your vote at the last election."

Prime Minister Helen Clark said it was "ridiculous" that Labour and National were getting the same amount, given Labour's level of public support.

"There's been a huge gulf between the two for a long time. I just find it very hard to see how it could possibly be justified [National's] getting the same as Labour because when we were in the doldrums in 1996 that certainly wasn't the case. There seem to be two rules."

She described as "frittering the money away" the allocation of $25,000 to the small parties, such as Outdoor Recreation NZ. They get a four-minute opening and a one-minute closing broadcast, which Helen Clark said she doubted many people would watch anyway.

Act president Catherine Judd also criticised the allocations.

"It's an improvement on last time - in that regard it's good - but overall we think it's a crazy and very unfair system."

The money must be used for radio and television broadcasts, either for air time or producing advertisements. Parties cannot buy advertising from their own funds, but they can pay for production costs.

The Greens were the biggest winners, up $123,000 from $43,333 in 1999.

Act got $129,999 in 1999, and NZ First $108,333.

NZ First leader Winston Peters said the process was unfair in 1999: "The allocations are fairer this time."

Greens co-leader Jeanette Fitzsimons was delighted with the increase. She said it would allow a much more professional opening on television than was possible in 1999.

"A side issue is on what criteria NZ First qualify for the same. They've got fewer MPs and less than half our polling, but there it is - it's what we get that matters."

Her co-leader, Rod Donald, called the NZ First allocation inexplicable.

"They got $166,000 with onlyfive MPs and a poll rating a third ours. It just doesn't make sense.Winston doesn't deserve it."

National Party president Michelle Boag was also surprised.

"I don't really see NZ First in the same category as Act or the Greens."

Electoral Commission chief Dr Paul Harris said parties had been grouped into broad categories.

"Act, NZ First and the Greens seemed to us to be in a category together. NZ First may be polling lower than some of these other parties but it has got significantly more members."

Jim Anderton's Progressive Coalition Party - a spinoff from the Alliance - was not eligible as it was not registered in time.

Other grants were: $75,000, Christian Heritage, United Future New Zealand; $25,000, Aotearoa Legalise Cannabis Party, Outdoor Recreation NZ; $12,500, Libertarianz, Mana Maori, NMP, One New Zealand Party.

Ten parties were granted free radio and television time for opening and closing addresses.

Labour and National will have a 12-minute opening address and a four-minute closing.

Act, the Greens, and NZ First have an eight-minute opening address, with three minutes to close.

The Alliance gets six minutes opening and two minutes closing.

Christian Heritage and United Future NZ get five minutes opening and 1 1/2 minutes closing, and the Aotearoa Legalise Cannabis Party and Outdoor Recreation NZ get four minutes opening and one minute closing.

- NZPA

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