Nats’ plea for funds ahead of byelection

The National Party says it is low on funds ahead of the Port Waikato byelection — and with different spending rules from a general election, one expert tells the

Weekend Herald it could spend double what is normally allowed.

The byelection was called after Act’s Neil Christensen died on October 9, just a few days before general election polling closed.

Voting in the byelection opened on Monday, November 13, and will close at 7pm on Saturday, November 25.

National sent an email to its supporters on Friday saying: “After we successfully defeated Labour in the general election, our war chest is running low. Can we count on your support?”

The email included a link to directly donate $30 to the party, after adding, “National and [leader] Christopher Luxon need this seat”.

Electoral law expert Graeme Edgeler said there were few differences between bylections and the general election, apart from spending limits, usual voter turnout and a murkiness around advertising restrictions.

Edgeler went as far as to say “we should get rid of ” the rules which had prompted this byelection — the death of a candidate “who realistically, was not going to win”.

Candidates are allowed to spend up to $65,200 on advertising in the byelection, Edgeler said. In a general election, candidates are limited to spending $32,600.

He explained this was because parties had to split their spending limits between advertising for party votes and candidate votes in each electorate, while in a bylection, they could focus solely on selling their candidates.

“The spending limit also only applies for three months [before the election] and all the money you spent before that doesn’t count. There are also a lot of other things you spend money on that aren’t included either [such as] opinion polling.”

Edgeler said one of the other unusual things about this byelection was that it would give the winning party an extra MP in Parliament.

“That’s a noteworthy thing that hasn’t happened before. It’s never happened under MMP and it basically never happened under first past the post either. It’s the first time in at least a hundred years,” he said. “So at this Port Waikato byelection, everyone should vote, but I can say that since Labour’s not even standing a candidate, Labour has said National is going to win this.”