Broadcasting Amendment Act 2004

12 Criteria in relation to allocation of time and money to political parties

• (1) Section 75 of the principal Act is amended by repealing subsection (1), and substituting the following subsection:

  • “(1) The Electoral Commission must not allocate any time to a political party under section 73, or make an allocation of money to a political party under section 74A, in respect of an election unless—

    • “(a) that party was registered on the Register of Political Parties at the time of the dissolution of Parliament for the election or, as the case requires, at the time that Parliament expired; and

    • “(b) that party has given to the Electoral Commission, in relation to that election, a notice that complies with the requirements of sections 70A(3), 70B, and 70C.”

  (2) Section 75(2) of the principal Act is amended by repealing paragraph (c), and substituting the following paragraph:

  • “(c) the number of members of Parliament who were members of that political party immediately before the dissolution or expiration of Parliament; and”.

  (3) Section 75(2)(f) of the principal Act is amended by omitting the expression “subsection (1)(a)(i)”, and substituting the expression “subsection (1)”.

  (4) Section 75 of the principal Act is amended by repealing subsection (3), and substituting the following subsection:

  • “(3) Despite anything in subsection (1) or subsection (2), an allocation of time to a political party made under section 73 in respect of an election period, or a decision made under section 74A in respect of an election period, may be made before the beginning of the election period.”