Mayor’s expenses referred to police
A complaint about Christchurch Mayor Lianne Dalziel’s election expenses has been referred to the police.
Dalziel, who defeated Darryll Park and John Minto in October to win her third term as mayor, was criticised for failing to identify donors who made significant contributions to her campaign.
Electoral law dictates that candidates can accept anonymous donations under $1500, but must disclose the names of donors who contribute more than that sum. Dalziel’s election return listed only her husband, lawyer Rob Davidson, as a donor at a campaign fundraiser in July. But, in December, she revealed the names of six people who donated more than $1500 at the dinner by buying auctioned wine for prices higher than market value.
All six have connections with Davidson, and many have links to China.
Among them was Davidson’s Chinabased business partner, as well as a businessman who has property interests in Christchurch and owns a Chineselanguage newspaper in New Zealand.
One donated $17,000 – more than 11 times the $1500 limit that must be declared under the Local Electoral Act.
Minto, who made the initial complaint against Dalziel, said the mayor had made a ‘‘bonfire of her political integrity’’.
Dalziel declined to comment on it becoming a police matter yesterday, other than to say it was ‘‘standard procedure under the act if there is a complaint, therefore there is nothing more that I can say’’.
Christchurch electoral officer Jo Daly took the action after receiving a complaint from Minto last month.
She told ‘‘As electoral officer
Ireceived a written complaint regarding the candidate return of electoral donations and expenses submitted by Lianne Dalziel.
‘‘Under section 138(2) of the Local Electoral Act 2001, an electoral officer must report any written complaint that an offence may have been committed under the act to the police, and I have done so.’’
In a letter to Minto on Thursday, Daly said having investigated his allegation, ‘‘I have reached a view that I am required to report your complaint to the police. An electoral officer is not required to investigate these matters, but must report them’’.
She also told him his complaint about Dalziel’s donations and expenses in 2016 could not be investigated because of the time limit for prosecutions.
Daly, who was also Christchurch’s electoral officer in 2016, previously said she had no reason to believe Dalziel’s 2016 return did not comply with the legislation.
Minto told Stuff yesterday it was appropriate the expenses return had been referred to police and ‘‘there are serious issues here that need answering’’.
A police spokeswoman would not comment on whether an investigation would take place. She said: ‘‘Police are unable to respond to queries which seek to establish whether specific individuals or organisations are, or have been, under police investigation.’’