Electoral law public forums begin tomorrow

The public will be able to discuss new laws for running elections at a series of forums which begin tomorrow, Justice Minister Simon Power said today.

Mr Power issued a discussion paper on May 22 to generate public interest in electoral law reform and the forums are the next step in the process.

He is in charge of drafting legislation which will replace the repealed Electoral Finance Act, which was introduced by the previous government in late 2007.

It was drafted in response to the initially covert campaign against Labour and the Greens run by the Exclusive Brethren in the 2005 election, but its wide provisions caused controversy and outrage.

It forced disclosure of electioneering by third parties - organisations which are not political parties - and put a cap on the amount they could spend.

It also tightened the rules on donations to parties and brought in new rules for election advertising.

Vague definitions caused numerous problems and the Electoral Commission had difficulty enforcing its provisions.

Mr Power said today the first forum would be held in Christchurch tomorrow.

There will be another in Auckland on June 8 and a third in Wellington on June 9.

"The forums will provide an opportunity for issues to be discussed and ideas to be canvassed," Mr Power said.

"There are a lot of good ideas out there and we want to hear from as many people as possible."

More information is on www.justice.govt.nz/electoralfinancereform

- NZPA