Worth Richard: Electoral Matters Bill — In Committee 
Worth Richard: Electoral Matters Bill — In Committee 
[Volume:622;Page:17271] 
RICHARD WORTH (National—Epsom) 
: 
 It is a pleasure to be speaking on behalf of National on Part 2. I will start by saying if I may that issues touching on electoral legislation need to be treated with considerable care. New Zealand does not have a written constitution and in the developed world we are one of only three countries that do not have one. The other two happen to be the United Kingdom and Israel. 
I know that in the course of this debate National members have been looking with interest at Mr Murray Smith’s contribution in the form of the amendment that he has proposed—very late in the piece I would have to say—to clause 18. The whole issue of electoral broadcasting is of course a hot topic and the Justice and Electoral Committee was concerned not to leave room open for undue influence upon the perception of opening and closing broadcasts from both the placement or the content of advertising that might have political impact. I believe that the balance that the select committee has struck is probably reasonable in the circumstances. There is no doubt that the current position on advertising between opening and closing addresses is at the lowest ambiguous—it is certainly that. One of the things that the select committee did was to insert in clause 22 a new section 77A into the Broadcasting Act. 
It might be said that the public is not much interested in these things; it might also be said that there is no compelling reason for change. But certainly in the context of the developing dynamic of MMP it becomes increasingly important for the system at least to appear to be fair—even if it is not completely so. That is why those changes have been made. 
One of the things we did suggest was that industry work with the Electoral Commission to develop a code of practice. I am not sure whether the ACT member has taken a call in this debate but he is a very substantial contributor to the work of the Justice and Electoral Committee and he dissented from the position of the majority in connection with the broadcasting issues. I hope he is given an opportunity to talk about those sorts of issues. As a bottom-line position we need to be careful not to constrain or limit free media speech. 
I think the Committee certainly from National’s perspective will have to think more deeply about Mr Smith’s proposals. I just say I suppose by way of friendly caution to him that when in the Committee stage of a bill proposed amendments arrive very late there is no real opportunity for caucuses to reflect on what their significance may be. Even if they are of undoubted intrinsic merit there is no real opportunity for them generally to be taken up because of the need to align them with other provisions in the bill. 
I have spoken about electoral hoardings in the debate on another part of the bill and I do not seek to do that now. In simple terms National’s position is that it supports this bill. 
Hon Rick Barker 
: You are confused. 
RICHARD WORTH 
: I will respond to an invitation that has just now been offered to me by the Minister in the chair. He has made the suggestion that National is confused on these issues. I would just like to say to those who are listening to the radio and also to members in the Chamber that “confused” is something National never is.