In this Part, unless the context otherwise requires,—

In this Part, the following terms have the meanings given to them by section 3(1) of the Electoral Act 1993:

Except as provided in subsections (2) and (3), a broadcaster may not, at any time, broadcast an election programme.

A broadcaster may, for the purpose of a general election, broadcast an election programme if—

A broadcaster may, for the purposes of a general election or by-election, broadcast an election programme if that programme—

Nothing in this section restricts—

A television broadcaster may not broadcast election programmes—

A radio broadcaster may not broadcast election programmes on—

A broadcaster may not offer or give to any party terms for broadcasting time that are more favourable than those offered or given to any other party that buys, or expresses an interest in buying, comparable time from that broadcaster.

A broadcaster may not offer or give to any constituency candidate terms for broadcasting time that are more favourable than those offered or given to any other constituency candidate who buys, or expresses an interest in buying, comparable time from that broadcaster.

Section 4(1)(d) does not apply in relation to an election programme broadcast under this Part.

In relation to each general election, the Minister of Justice must give notice to the Electoral Commission of the amount of money appropriated by Parliament for the purpose of enabling parties to fund—

The Electoral Commission must decide, under section 79, how the amount in subsection (1) is to be allocated to parties.

For a general election that takes place after 2017 (a subsequent general election), an amount of money equal to the amount of public money allocated under section 79 at the immediately preceding general election must, unless an Act of Parliament expressly provides otherwise, be deemed to have been appropriated by Parliament for the purposes of enabling parties to fund the costs specified in subsection (1) incurred in relation to the subsequent general election.

An amount of money deemed by subsection (3) to have been appropriated by Parliament for the purposes specified in that subsection is payable out of public money for those purposes without further appropriation than this section.

In every year in which Parliament is due to expire, the Electoral Commission must specify, by notice in the Gazette, a date by which a party must notify the Electoral Commission that it considers itself qualified to receive an allocation of the money referred to in section 74.

The date specified under subsection (1) may be a date before the beginning of the election period that will apply in relation to the general election to be held in that year.

A party that considers it will be qualified under section 78(1)(b) to receive an allocation of the money referred to in section 74 must provide to the Electoral Commission a notice of qualification.

A notice must—

A notice must include—

Before making any allocation of the money referred to in section 74, the Electoral Commission must give to every party that has provided a notice under section 76 the opportunity to—

The failure of a party to make use of an opportunity afforded under subsection (1), or to comply with any request of the Electoral Commission, does not—

A party may only receive an allocation of the money referred to in section 74 if the party—

In allocating money to a party, the Electoral Commission must have regard to—

The Electoral Commission’s decision on how the money referred to in section 74 is to be allocated to parties—

An allocation may be made to a group of related parties.

An allocation may not be made to an individual party if that party is to receive an allocation as part of a group of related parties.

A condition included in a decision under subsection (1)(b) may require a party to advise the Electoral Commission of the value of election programme bookings made by the party.

If the Electoral Commission decides to allocate money to a party, the Electoral Commission must give a copy of its decision to—

A decision under this section may be made—

The Electoral Commission may vary a decision made under section 79 if a party to which an amount of money is allocated—

The Electoral Commission may also vary a decision made under section 79 if there has been a significant change in the relationship between a party that has received an allocation of money and any other party.

The Electoral Commission may vary a decision made under section 79 without affording to any party the opportunity to—

In varying a decision made under section 79, the Electoral Commission must have regard to—

If an allocation of money made to a party has been spent (in whole or in part), the Electoral Commission must not vary that allocation unless—

A party or group of related parties that receives an allocation under section 79(1)(a)—

Nothing in this Part restricts the amount of money that a party or group of related parties may spend, subject to the expenditure limitations prescribed by or under the Electoral Act 1993, on—

A party to which an amount of money is allocated under section 79 must ensure that the Electoral Commission receives, no later than 50 working days after the end of the month in which the election was held,—

No account that the Electoral Commission receives from a party after the end of the period specified in subsection (1) may be paid by the Electoral Commission, either in part or in full, from the amount of money allocated to that party under section 79.

When the Electoral Commission is satisfied that any account or a part of any account should be paid, the Electoral Commission must, from the money it received under section 74(1), pay to the person who issued the account the amount approved by the Electoral Commission for payment.

An amount of money that has been allocated to a party under section 79 and that is not paid out under subsection (3) must be repaid by the Electoral Commission to the Crown.

This section applies if an election advertisement is published for a party or a candidate on the Internet both before the commencement of the election period and during the election period.

If this section applies, only the publishing costs attributable to the publication of the election advertisement during the election period are payable from money allocated under section 79.

Any cost specified in section 74(1) that is paid by the Electoral Commission from the amount of money allocated to a party under section 79 is not an election expense of the party that must be included by the party in its return of election expenses under section 206I of the Electoral Act 1993.

However, any cost specified in section 74(1) incurred in relation to an election programme or election advertisement that is paid by the Electoral Commission from the amount of money allocated to a party under section 79 is,—

A party secretary must file with the Electoral Commission under section 206IA of the Electoral Act 1993 a return of expenses incurred by the party that have been funded from the party’s allocation.

Where effect has been given in whole or in part to an allocation made under section 79 and the Electoral Commission, acting under section 80, varies that allocation, the Electoral Commission may determine that all or part of the money paid on behalf of a party as a result of that allocation be repaid to the Crown by the party.

Where the Electoral Commission makes a determination under subsection (1),—

This section applies if, at the time Parliament is dissolved or expires,—

If this section applies, this Part applies subject to the modifications specified in section 80H.

If section 80G applies,—

A person commits an offence and is liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $100,000 if the person—

If the Electoral Commission believes that any person has committed an offence against section 80I, the Electoral Commission must report to the New Zealand Police the facts upon which that belief is based.