Three weeks ago the Māori Party was rightly referred to the police for prosecution for failing to declare over $320,000 in donations just before the last election. The Electoral Commission commented at the time that they were also looking at an undeclared donation to the National Party (from a real estate speculator, no less), but hadn't made a decision yet. But today they finally have, and surprise, surprise, the National Party won't be referred for prosecution:
The Electorate Commission has issued National with a warning over its failure to declare a donation from real estate mogul Garth Barfoot.So, just to make that crystal clear: the Māori party gets prosecuted, the white party doesn't. Its a perfect example of our racist justice system in action, what happens every day on the street as public policy. The Electoral Commission will of course have its reasons - the current one seems to be that its unfair to prosecute National for not reading their email despite a statutory duty to monitor donations - but so do the police who give a pass to white people while sticking the cuffs on brown ones every day. With police, who gets excuses and who gets handcuffs form a pattern which is only explainable by pervasive racism. Sadly, it looks like the Electoral Commission's decisions also fall into that pattern.It has opted not to refer the matter to the police – as it did for several larger late declarations from the Māori Party.
National declared the cumulative $35,000 in donations over 2020 from Barfoot on March 31, months after it should have been declared.
Electoral law dictates that any donation over $30,000 – including a series of donations within one year – must be declared within 10 working days.
I'm not saying this to excuse the Māori Party: I think they need to be prosecuted. But so do National. Donations fraud is a serious crime against our democracy, which undermines faith in our political system - and that's true regardless of the predominant skin colour in the party committing it.
