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For Labour the first stages of repealing its Electoral Finance Act brought the ignominy of eating humble pie - and despite all their talk about a constructive approach some in National just couldn't resist rubbing their faces in it.
When Labour's electoral spokesman David Parker stood to speak
in last night's first reading of the bill to repeal the EFA, he was quick to follow his leader Phil Goff and get Labour's backdown on record.
"So we do concede that there are imperfections with the existing law, that it did produce an overly complicated regime, that it can be improved."
It prompted MP Jonathan Coleman to yell "so you're admitting you got it wrong" . Mr Parker - to his credit - refused to rise to the bait and just agreed, in triplicate.
"I have already admitted that. I'm happy to do mea culpa, mea culpa, mea culpa again. There were imperfections."
The Electoral Amendment Bill will spell the end to a law which sparked intense acrimony in 2007 as Labour pushed it through, bypassing the convention of securing cross party support for electoral law changes.
The bill is expected to pass next week and will repeal the Electoral Finance Act, reinstating the previous electoral law while parties hammer out a new law before the next election.
Introducing the bill last night, Justice Minister Simon Power said the stricter rules on donations and the higher penalties for corrupt or illegal practice would remain as both had broad support in Parliament and helped bolster public confidence in the electoral process.
Yesterday, Labour and Progressives leader Jim Anderton said they would support its repeal after getting assurances National was genuine about working with them on a more enduring replacement.
Only the Green Party is refusing to support the repeal, saying while it was flawed it remained better than the previous law.
Mr Anderton put in a plea for National not to take vengeance, saying he accepted it was "aggrieved" by what had happened and believed the EFA needed to be replaced.
"Just as we on this side of the House have come to this view, I ask those on that side to be constructive."
Attorney General Chris Finlayson said there was "a level of maturity" that was absent in 2007. He hoped other Labour MPs who supported such an "insult to democracy" would follow the example of their leaders and engage constructively.
"There's going to be no utu from the National Party, because it is in the public interest that we band together."
Mr Parker, Mr Anderton and Greens co-leader Russel Norman all stressed that they stuck by the principles of the EFA - and any replacement had to address the transparency of funding of political parties, as well as limits on how far other people and groups could go in campaigning for a party in an election campaign.
Mr Power has promised both political parties and the public will have a chance for input.
National had included the repeal of the law in its 100-day plan - and Labour's Phil Goff had moved quickly after becoming leader to admit parts of it were flawed.
The changes were introduced by Labour largely in response to the extensive Exclusive Brethren leaflet campaign in 2005 which attacked left-wing parties without readily identifying the source of the leaflets.
However, the restrictions on third parties immediately sparked controversy and were criticised by the Human Rights Commission for stifling free speech - a factor that sparked a Herald campaign on the bill.
The law also caused controversy because it did not have bi-partisan support, breaking with the convention for electoral law changes.
Debate on the bill ended part way through its first reading. National had aimed to have the bill's first and second readings done under urgency last night. However, leader of the House Gerry Brownlee bungled the motion and an attempt to seek leave to allow it to proceed as planned was blocked by the Green Party.
