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The Green Party is going to extraordinary lengths to ensure it does not break new election advertising rules - including encouraging the owners of old Green Party T-shirts to get iron-on transfers with a campaign authorisation statement.
Party workers were briefed at the party's annual conference yesterday on
how to ensure they met the requirements of the act.
Campaign director Gary Reese told the party's grass roots campaigners to send all material into him for vetting and authorisation, allowing two to three days for processing.
The party is also taking steps to make old merchandise - such as t-shirts - comply with the law by offering iron-on transfers with the authorising statement on them to supporters who own them.
Ink stamps have also been issued to branches to authorise old pamphlets and other advertising material.
MP Metiria Turei said the party was trying to publicise the need for authorisation among the wider net of supporters to ensure nobody inadvertently breached the law.
She said there was a need for extra caution because the controversy over the new law had put its critics on full alert for any breaches.
"The law has changed and the consequences for breaking it are quite severe. You don't want to put yourselves or those who support you at unnecessary risk."
Ms Turei also advised workers to authorise anything with the party logo on it until the Electoral Commission decides whether a party logo alone will be deemed an election advertisement.
The meeting illustrated some of the practical difficulties members were having applying the law to the real life of an election year.
Several members expressed confusion about what was covered by the law, including asking whether an "instructional" website showing people how to vote Green needed authorisation.
Mr Field said he would ask the Electoral Commission to clarify the process for dealing with donations of goods, after uncertainty was expressed over how to record vegetables donated for a Green Party market stall or goods for a garage sale.
Another wanted to know whether rural delivery contractors delivering pamphlets for free on the mail run were making a "donation."
Those with regular slots on local radio were told the party had to consider whether they should be changed to ensure they met the criteria.
Ms Turei said much of the trouble arose because the law change broke the former consensus between parties as to what was covered by electoral advertising law.
"The mistake was that this law was passed so close to an election year. There has been no time to develop a political consensus about what is and is not acceptable."
The party has also changed the way it processes donations after it was reprimanded by the Electoral Commission for filing a late return on donations of more than $20,000.
The party had not realised the sum of three donations from one person had gone over the $20,000 threshold until after the 10-day deadline for filing a return had passed.
Financial agent Jon Field told branches to advise national office of all donations worth more than $500 so it could keep better track of donations.
The party allowed news reporters to sit in on the session about the Electoral Finance Act - a rare move for a political party conference.
Ms Turei said other parties had held similar sessions behind closed doors, but word had leaked out anyway. "We have nothing to hide and nothing to fear."
Earlier, members of the Coalition for Free Speech handed out anti-Electoral Finance Act leaflets outside the conference venue.
