Labour's biggest affiliated union, the Engineering, Printing and Manufacturing Union, has applied to the Electoral Commission to be registered as a "third party" under the new electoral laws.
The move is not unexpected because even if the union runs an issues-based campaign rather than a vote-Labour one, it
would court a legal challenge by opponents of the new Electoral Finance Act were it not registered.
Registering is now required of groups or individuals producing material over a certain value that can reasonably be regarded as trying to influence people to vote for or against a party or candidate whether or not the party or candidate is named.
Anyone who wants to spend more than $1000 for or against a candidate must register and is limited to spending no more than $4000 between January 1 and the election.
Anyone wanting to spend more than $12,000 for or against a party must register and is limited to spending $120,000.
But unions and other organisations are able to communicate with their own members without being caught by the act.
EPMU national secretary Andrew Little said the union did not intend to run a "Vote Labour" campaign and would do what it had done at the last election by concentrating on work-related issues such as ACC.
It had a budget of $120,000 to spend on its election activities and party donations - the same as the 2005 election.
"If there is a potential or risk that anything you say or advertise could be interpreted as 'political advertising', then better to be safe than sorry."
Business New Zealand chief executive Phil O'Reilly said his organisation did not intend at this stage to register as a third party.
"There is nothing we intend to be doing that we think will be covered." But he would keep the matter under consideration.
The organisation would be likely to run some publicity around the needs of business in the election matching up member surveys with parties' policy "but none of it will be aimed at getting people to vote for particular parties".
