David Farrar: Te Pāti Māori playing the race card

TPM released:

Te Pāti Māori are calling for a by-election and the establishment of an Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) after the National Party’s donation botch.

On this issue I agree with them. I have supported one for many years. There’s many things such a body could do such as investigating a charity illegally funding a political party.

“When the brown party is late to file a disclosure, we’re referred to the Police and Serious Fraud Office. When the National Party doesn’t disclose, it’s a ‘mistake’ and ‘poor error of judgement’. This is not one law for all.

This is blatant playing of the race card, stating that the legal authorities treat parties different based on the skin colour of their members.

The Electoral Commission has only known of the incorrect donation return for a few days. They have in no way decided not to refer it to the Police, yet alone dismiss it as a mistake. In fact I’ll be astonished if they do not refer it.

The Maori Party was referred in 2021, after it transpired they had not disclosed $320,000 of donations. The decision to refer was only done five weeks after the Electoral Commission was notified.

So there has been no different treatment at all between the two incorrect donation returns. I suspect Te Pati Maori knows this, but they prefer to stoke racial resentment.

David Farrar runs Curia Market Research, a specialist opinion polling and research agency, and the popular Kiwiblog where this article was sourced. He previously worked in the Parliament for eight years, serving two National Party Prime Ministers and three Opposition Leaders.