“The proposed reforms from the Ministry of Justice into electoral donations don't solve a public policy problem,” says ACT Leader David Seymour.
“If people think it’s a problem that people who break the law are being taken to court, then they don’t understand what it is for a law to not be working.
“The law is working – that’s why people are being prosecuted. We aren’t talking about changing the laws around murder because people have been charged with it.
“There is an interest in knowing if there is undue influence in politics but $15,000 doesn’t buy someone influence when it costs millions of dollars to run a successful campaign.
“If anyone seriously thinks that a political party would abandon its integrity and principles for $15,000, then they don’t understand the cost of modern campaigning.
“This is the Labour Party trying to seek its own political advantage so it can replace the system with taxpayer funding.
“There are people in New Zealand who already fear persecution, missing out on Government contracts, missing out of board appointments and being ostracised by giving money to a political party.
“All this will do is make it harder for political parties to raise money and make it harder for people to participate in politics.
“The fact Labour is trying to do this using an absolutely majority is constitutionally dangerous and damaging to New Zealand.”
