Goodhew Jo: General Debate 
Goodhew Jo: General Debate 
[Volume:641;Page:11145] 
JO GOODHEW (National—Aoraki) 
: 
 I rise with much enjoyment to speak in this debate which has certainly shown the people of New Zealand that this is a stuttering Government that is going from disaster to disaster. These include the demise of David Benson-Pope the judicial reviews that abound in health the more than 700 people who are leaving every week to go to Australia the record high interest rates that are hitting and hurting ordinary New Zealanders—which of course is something that this Government does not want to talk about—and the demise of the trans-Tasman Therapeutic Products and Medicines Bill. The most recent Labour speaker epitomised that ignorance is bliss. She would be better to be silent and to be thought a fool than to open her mouth and remove all doubt. 
I want to further pursue the debate about the dreadful Electoral Finance Bill. This bill epitomises the essence of unintended consequences and this Government has known many of those. The bill is ill-thought-out ill conceived and poorly drafted. Or maybe it is very clever? Perhaps during the course of my speech members will decide which one it is. The recent headlines include: “Bill of wrongs” “PM is responsible for electoral drift net” “Labour wants its critics on a register” “Labour screws the electoral scrum” and “Labour’s arrogance continues”. These are just some of the headlines. The editorials are speaking out because the newspapers of the country are starting to understand exactly what the Electoral Finance Bill means. Even Helen Clark is looking for a way to distance herself from the mess saying today that the bill obviously needs some change. Mark Burton has made contradictory statements. He said that the Government was seeking to encourage full and open expression from a diverse range of interests in the run-up to a general election. That statement could not be further from what this bill will actually achieve. 
Hon Mark Burton 
: Has the member read the bill? 
JO GOODHEW 
: I have it in front of me. The explanatory note of the bill states that the bill will “prevent the undue influence of wealth”. Maybe it will but it will not prevent the Government from using taxpayers’ accumulated wealth to persuade the people to vote for Labour. But the people of New Zealand are too wise for that. The explanatory note states that the bill will “promote participation in parliamentary democracy”. Well the Minister is wrong again; it will do anything but. 
The bill imposes unbelievable requirements on third parties. It is intended although not openly stated to shut them up. If third parties try to take a position on a proposition with which one or more candidates or political parties is associated they will be shut up. It is indeed a scary bill. It is Draconian. Many of the organisations that may be caught up in the third-party requirements will not yet be aware of how they will be caught will not be aware that it will mean they must scrutinise their newsletters in an election year. They will not be able to state any position with which any candidate or party is associated. I think of some of the organisations that will be caught up in this such as Parents Centres Plunket Federated Farmers and the National Council of Women. I cannot wait until these organisations realise they cannot express their particular viewpoints in their newsletters during an election year. 
What about a young person who uses a chalk drawing on a pavement to express a political view during an election year? That person cannot do so unless he or she has registered with the Electoral Commission. Just imagine how those people will feel when they know they have to register with the commission. 
Labour is scared of criticism. That is why this bill looks the way it is. Labour is scared of its own impending demise and scared of political oblivion. It will do anything to screw the scrum. Just imagine the new bureaucracy the Government will have to put in place so that people can register before they put their opinions out there for New Zealanders to understand them. You know the rest of New Zealand will see what Labour is trying to achieve with this bill. We have seen already that the Prime Minister is starting to read the mood of the nation as New Zealanders start to understand what this bill is all about. Helen Clark had decided she needs to distance herself from what is happening. She is leaving it to the Justice and Electoral Committee to sort it out. By golly that select committee has some work ahead of it!