by Denise Roche
As the Green Party spokesperson on Waste, of course I agree with recycling. But ACT MP and former Auckland City Council Mayor and former National Cabinet Minister John Banks has been recycled so many times that he’s long past his use-by date. The latest revelations of his dodgy dealings to keep donations from SkyCity and Kim Dotcom for his failed super-city mayoralty campaign a secret proves that Mr Banks is prepared to bend or break the rules at whim to protect himself.
Banks’ assertions that he did not know about the donation of the two $25,000 cheques from Kim Dotcom may well be a hair-width’s line inside the requirements of the Local Electoral Act 2001, but hell, it smells fishy and sounds like a rort and his reputation as a Minister in John Key’s Government is totally tarnished. When you put that together with his lobbying his mate Maurice Williamson, the Land Information Minister, so that Mr Dotcom could get approval from the Overseas Investment Office to buy property it all adds up to a nasty picture of mutual-back-scratching cronyism.
As an MP, Mr Banks wouldn’t be able to get away with declaring two $25,000 donations anonymous under the rules that govern spending and returns in General Elections. Voters – whether they’re voting in the General Elections or if they’re voting for their Mayor – should know who’s funding them.
That’s why the Green Party has had a Bill in the ballot since 2009 (which is currently in my name) to require more accountability and transparency around what candidates spend during local government elections. As it says in the general policy statement at the beginning of our Local Electoral (Finance) Amendment Bill, the purpose of the Bill is also to “prevent the undue influence of wealth on electoral outcomes.” The Bill would ensure no donations over $500 remain anonymous and cap donations at $5000.
In the first Auckland Super City mayoralty campaign in 2010, each candidate could spend up to $500,000. It’s important we know where that money comes from so that we can at least guess at what favours are expected in return.
Picture: NZ Listener, David White
And just for the record in case anyone asks:
Even though I am “anonymous” in the photo on the front page of the NZ Herald today, yes, I was sitting next to Mr Banks on a flight to Wellington yesterday. I had a nap. He had a nap. So I guess you could say we slept together. But I bet he won’t remember that.
Published in Justice & Democracy by Denise Roche on Wed, May 2nd, 2012
Tags: electoral finance, John banks, KimDotcom, local elections, SkyCity
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I hope you are more careful with who you sleep with in future, Denise, you wouldn’t want to have that fishy smell lingering on you afterwards.
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I would have asked for another seat.. if the ‘smell’ was that bad !
OH DEAR..
Kia-ora Denise
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I skimmed the amendments on the Green website, but are there any better specifics on how this might work? If donations were capped, I can imagine a few potential loopholes, like creating shell companies to distribute donations, or distributing money to like-minded individuals so they could each donate it. Does it not also give a potential advantage to people who already have lots of their own money (even if little political support) to completely bank-roll their own campaign to begin with?
Winning elections is often about exposure and marketing and sometimes manipulation of people to convince them to vote using irrational or ill-informed reasoning. Although it’s definitely important to know where the money comes from, I still wonder if it could be more useful to focus on the spending side. Maybe that’s opening another can of worms.
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Guess that is the problem with supposed “anonymity”. The truth will out, as it will with Banks’ election return.
I understand Campbell Live will have more on that this evening, although I’ll be out at a meeting so won’t get to see it live, sadly. And Kim Dotcom has phone records of his conversations with Banks, and appears to be open to releasing them.
Those could be very, very interesting.
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It looks like it is a good idea to not upset Kim Dotcom.
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A conspiracy at the airline?
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Poor old Mr Banks, he probably suffering from Fracking near Parliament!
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