KEY POINTS:
National has condemned the select committee that considered the Electoral Finance Bill, saying the process was rushed and the final results are defective.
However, the committee chairwoman, Labour list MP Lynne Pillay, has hit back, accusing National of undemocratic tactics and of attempting to sabotage the committee's work.
National has penned a barbed minority report to the justice and electoral select committee's report, which claims many witnesses did not receive a fair hearing from the committee, that officials from the Ministry of Justice and Parliamentary Counsel Office did not have adequate time to advise on policy and draft legislation, and that there was insufficient consultation between Ms Pillay and her deputy, National list MP Christopher Finlayson.
"National members do not think these complaints are minor faults," the report said.
"They think that the bill has not received proper consideration and that it has been a rushed and thoroughly inadequate job. They do not think that the public interest has been served."
National highlighted what it called procedural failings, such as an invitation to the Law Commission to act as an adviser on the bill - an approach commission chairman Sir Geoffrey Palmer said would have been inappropriate.
They said papers were not provided for some major discussion areas such as a Greens proposal on a new donations regime, that Attorney-General Michael Cullen rejected an approach to have Crown Law officials speak to the committee about the law change's implications under the Bill of Rights Act, and that there had been a fundamental lack of public consultation.
National deputy leader Bill English noted that the Human Rights Commission had urged the Government to put the bill out for further public consultation, but Labour had refused.
"National tried to get the HRC back before the select committee to discuss these issues but, true to form, National was voted down by Labour."
Ms Pillay rounded on critics of the committee's work, saying National had been very unhelpful to the committee's work, had played no active role in assisting it, and had filibustered at every opportunity to block the bill's progress.
"Every submitter who asked to be heard has been heard, and every consideration has been given," Ms Pillay said.
"The National Party were absolutely opposed to the bill and didn't even vote for it to go to select committee. On at least two occasions, if not more, they tried to collapse the committee. There have been a number of silly games like that being played."
Claims papers were not delivered on time and that advisers could not offer comment were simply not true, Ms Pillay said.
"Advisers prepared papers and talked us right through them. That was done every step of the way. The advisers did a fantastic job ... I note there is very little they [National] can say substantially, so they have had to resort to criticising the process, which wasn't flawed."
How they line up support
Labour, United Future, the Greens, New Zealand First, Progressive and the Maori Party
Oppose
Act and National
Singing from same songsheet
"The Electoral Finance Bill does not diminish 'free' speech. It restricts speech that is 'purchased' through advertising - and only in an environment that is electorally sensitive." - Peter Davis, husband of the Prime Minister, in a letter published in last Saturday's Weekend Herald. Helen Clark says she was not aware that her husband had written the letter.
"This bill does not restrict free speech. It simply restricts rightsto 'purchase' speech through advertising." - Justice Minister Annette King in a press statement yesterday following the report back of the Electoral Finance Bill from select committee.
