Te Pāti Māori referred to police over failure to file financial statement

Friday, 4 October 2024

Stuff Chief Political Correspondent Tova O'Brien and Political Editor Luke Malpass are at the National Party election night event in Auckland

Te Pāti Māori has failed to file its financial statement to the Electoral Commission, which has referred the breach of electoral law to police.

The Electoral Commission published political parties’ annual financial statements on Friday, revealing the high-level financials of parties in Parliament and others which contested the 2023 election. It was a new requirement, the commission said, due to recent law changes.

However, Te Pāti Māori failed to meet its June 30 deadline to submit its financial statement, along with minor parties New Nation Party and NZ Outdoors & Freedom Party which failed to meet a later deadline

Te Pāti Māori has been contacted for comment.

Asked about this on Friday afternoon, the Electoral Commission said it had earlier in the day referred the party’s failure to file a return -- a breach of the Electoral Act -- to police.

“As this matter is now with the police, the Electoral Commission will not be commenting further,” a spokesperson said.

A police spokesperson said the referral was being assessed, and no further comment would be given.

National Party leader Christopher Luxon at a rally during the 2023 election campaign.

The statements published by the parties successful in the 2023 election show that National is the wealthiest, followed by Labour, the Green Party, ACT, and NZ First.

The parties that were successful in the election spent considerably more through 2023.

National reported $11.79m in total equity for the year ended December 31, 2023. During the year it had received $10.2m in donations and fundraising income, spent $8.8m in operating expenses, and $2.2m on employees.

Labour reported $2.7m in equity as of December 31. It gathered $4.2m in donations and $18,135 in fundraising income, and spent $4.3m on the general election.

The Green Party tallied $1.08m in equity in the year ending March 31. It reported $1.47m in general donations, a further $1.6m received through appeals, and $1.88m in election expenses and $1.7m in party expenses.

Smaller parties which have been unsuccessful in their election campaigns reported losses.

ACT’s report for the year ending December had it at $613,900 in equity. While its statement was not as detailed, it reported $4.5m in revenue and $5.8m in campaign costs.

NZ First reported a deficit of $59,400 in the year ending March 31. Its detailed financial report, which included depreciation of various computers used by party officials, showed $1.58m in donations received by the party and total expenses of $1.88m, of which $1m was spent on advertising.

Smaller parties which have been unsuccessful in their election campaigns reported losses. The Opportunities Party (TOP) had a $17,000 loss, and the New Conservatives a loss of $18,000.

Freedoms NZ, run by preacher Brian Tamaki, reported equity of $10,000.