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Labour is poised to propose changes to its controversial clampdown on election advertising and campaigning rules, but there is concern the move will undermine the select committee now looking at the legislation.
Labour has been copping criticism from all sides over the Electoral Finance Bill, which has been
labelled anti-democratic and draconian.
Any move to put forward alternative ideas will likely be seen as an attempt to neutralise the hits it has been taking on the bill.
It is understood Labour is working on changing the definition of election advertising contained within the bill, narrowing it so that it does not cast as wide a net as originally proposed.
A limit of $60,000 placed on advertising by third parties such as the Exclusive Brethren during an election year is also likely to be raised.
The Electoral Finance Bill was drawn up to prevent a repeat of the Exclusive Brethren's surprise 2005 election advertising attacks, but in trying to do that, the proposed laws have also potentially caught a wider range of legitimate pressure and interest groups.
Prime Minister Helen Clark has conceded the proposals may have gone too far, but after suggesting the legislation would be changed by a select committee, it now appears Labour is considering moving earlier to try to avoid months of negative publicity during the select committee process.
While little was being said yesterday, the party could be about to write to the committee to outline proposed changes to be taken into account during deliberations.
But that idea has been criticised by the National and Maori parties, who want the select committee to be able to go ahead and do its job without interference.
The committee is scheduled to start hearing oral submissions next week and the public's right to send in submissions ends next Friday.
That means the public may not have the chance to address in written submissions any new proposals that might be put forward by Labour - although oral submitters could be asked to express a view.
Maori Party co-leader Pita Sharples last night said it was a "great concern" to hear talk of the bill being "tampered with" without full public scrutiny.
The party was not consulted on the Electoral Finance Bill before it was introduced, but the legislation passed its first reading with the support of Labour, the Greens, New Zealand First, United Future and Jim Anderton's Progressives party.
National Party deputy leader Bill English argued that if Labour did write to the committee proposing changes it would undercut the public submission process.
Greens co-leader Russel Norman argued it might actually help the committee to know what the Government's position was. "I'd describe it as we've started the process of fixing it, and I'd just like to see the process of fixing it go further," he said.
