8. Question No. 8—JusticeGOLRIZ GHAHRAMAN (Green) to the Minister of JusticeQuestion No. 8—Justice8. GOLRIZ GHAHRAMAN (Green) to the Minister of Justice: Does he have confidence in New Zealand's current electoral donation laws?Hon ANDREW LITTLE (Minister of Justice): The way I would characterise it is I think that our current laws and the story that has appeared in the media today have exposed a vulnerability for New Zealand's political donations regime. That is why I wrote to the Justice Committee in October last year and asked them as part of their inquiry into the 2017 general election to specifically consider the issue of foreign influence and foreign interference and I eagerly await the conclusions by that committee in their report.Golriz Ghahraman: Does he support strengthening our donations laws given specifically the story this morning that a former Minister facilitated a $150000 donation from an overseas person to the National Party?Hon ANDREW LITTLE: One of the issues that particularly concerns me about the story that has appeared today is the fact that a donation that ostensibly has come from overseas has gone through a company registered in New Zealand but whose ownership is not known whose source of revenue is not known whose source of capital is not known. If it is correct that the source of revenue for that company is foreign that the source of capital for that company is foreign then that would appear to have defeated the objectives of the law that we have. That's why I say that our law appears to contain a vulnerability. That is why I have asked the Justice Committee to look at the issue and because this is an issue that affects all political parties it is right that a body such as the select committee should have a look at it and I eagerly await their recommendations.Golriz Ghahraman: Will he ban overseas donations to New Zealand politicians and political parties as provided in my strengthening democracy member's bill?Hon ANDREW LITTLE: I haven't taken any view on whether or not foreign donations should be banned to political parties. I do note that the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance says that in their survey of countries 121 countries outright ban foreign donations to political parties—and those countries include Australia Canada the United Kingdom and the United States. But I eagerly await the conclusions and the recommendations of our Justice Committee before drawing any conclusions myself.Golriz Ghahraman: Will he consider capping political parties' donations at $35000 and banning anonymous donations over $1000 as provided in my strengthening democracy member's bill?Hon ANDREW LITTLE: Again I am aware that those provisions are within that member's member's bill. I have reached no personal conclusions and I have no advice to give the Government at the moment. That is the reason why I am eagerly awaiting—I think it's probably correct to say by now anxiously awaiting"—the conclusions of the Justice Committee on this issue because I think what that committee has to say will be very important.Golriz Ghahraman: Does he think it could be difficult to get cross-party consensus on tightening our donations laws given today's allegations of a large donation from a foreign-owned company to the National Party?Hon ANDREW LITTLE: No. I think every member in this House is concerned about the rising evidence from overseas about foreign interference and influence in political systems. I am reassured by a conversation that I had with the Hon Dr Nick Smith at the end of last year when the issue about the Justice Committee examining foreign donations and foreign interference in our political system came up and he said to me that he was very keen to make sure that that committee and this Parliament do the right thing given the evidence abroad about political interference."