Electoral Act 1993

217 Treating

• (1) Every person is guilty of a corrupt practice who commits the offence of treating.

  (2) Every person commits the offence of treating who corruptly, by himself or herself or by any other person on his or her behalf, either before, during, or after an election, directly or indirectly gives or provides, or pays wholly or in part the expense of giving or providing, any food, drink, entertainment, or provision to or for any person—

  • (a) for the purpose of corruptly influencing that person or any other person to vote or refrain from voting; or

  • (b) for the purpose of procuring himself or herself to be elected; or

  • (c) on account of that person or any other person having voted or refrained from voting, or being about to vote or refrain from voting.

  (3) Every person commits the offence of treating who, being the holder of a licence for the sale by retail of intoxicating liquor, knowingly supplies any food, drink, entertainment, or provision—

  • (a) to any person where the supply thereof is demanded for the purpose of treating, or for any corrupt or illegal practice; or

  • (b) to any persons, whether electors or not, for the purpose of procuring the return of a candidate or candidates at an election, and without receiving payment for it at the time when it is supplied.

  (4) Every elector who corruptly accepts or takes any such food, drink, entertainment, or provision also commits the offence of treating.

  (5) Notwithstanding anything in this section, the provision of a light supper after any election meeting shall be deemed not to constitute the offence of treating.

  Compare: 1956 No 107 s 142; 1975 No 28 s 41