7. Question No. 7—Local GovernmentJAMI-LEE ROSS (Botany) to the Minister of Local GovernmentQuestion No. 7—Local Government7. JAMI-LEE ROSS (Botany) to the Minister of Local Government: Is she satisfied that an overseas person that is not a New Zealand citizen or resident cannot lawfully make a donation of an unlimited amount to a candidate standing for local government election and is she satisfied that the Local Electoral Act 2001 provides sufficient safeguards to ensure local government election candidates and local authorities are free from foreign influence by way of electoral donations?Hon KRIS FAAFOI (Minister of Broadcasting Communications and Digital Media) on behalf of the Minister of Local Government: There is no statutory limit on who can make a donation or the amount of the donation. The Act does have requirements regarding the disclosure of donations that reach certain monetary thresholds. Things can always be improved though with respect to local election oversight. To the second part of the member's question I'm advised that the Justice Committee is conducting an inquiry into the 2017 general election and the 2016 local elections. Hon Simon Bridges: Brian Henry will want to submit on that. Hon KRIS FAAFOI: I would have thought that member would want to stay quiet during this question. The committee is able to consider the issue of donations to political parties as part of that inquiry. Further I understand that the justice Minister has asked the committee to expand its consideration to include the issue of foreign interference. If the member has any direct concerns in terms of local body elections the member might wish to raise these matters with that committee.Jami-Lee Ross: Will she put forward or support amendments to the Local Electoral Act prior to the 2019 elections to restrict overseas donations and at the very least bring the Local Electoral Act donation provisions in line with the Electoral Act 1993?Hon KRIS FAAFOI: With any changes to electoral laws the Government believes that it has to go through the correct amount of scrutiny given the enormity of them. The member does raise important questions around scrutiny of overseas elections to candidates both local and central government. I would suggest that the best way to raise these issues is through the Justice Committee. I also understand that the member intends to put forward some Supplementary Order Papers to a bill that is going through the House at the moment. We don't believe that tacking on those amendments to that current process is the best way to give oversight to ensure that there is the amount of scrutiny that those changes might need.Jami-Lee Ross: Why is it acceptable that in elections in this country no restrictions exist in local government where candidates can accept any sum of money from any person from any part of the world?Hon KRIS FAAFOI: The member does raise another important question. There is a difference between the regimes for local government and central government elections in respect to overseas donations that can be made and that's why we think it is most appropriate that if the member has concerns they can be raised through the Justice Committee process which has now been opened up to the remit of overseas interference.