HAS THE GREEN PARTY BEEN UPFRONT ABOUT ALL ITS FINANCIAL DONATIONS?

I refer readers to Bryce Edwards excellent examination of the Green Party’s finances and the sources of these not inconsiderable funds.

Dr Edwards, a lecturer in Political Science at the University of Otago, makes the interesting observation that while the Green’s have campaigned for transparency when it comes to party funding, they have been reluctant to front up about their own funding.

Bryce Edwards observes that the Green’s have recently been questioning whether Labour and National have been following the law about donation disclosure. Yet, in 2002, the Green Party tripled its election expenditure to $765,035, but declared only $86,000 in donations!

As Edwards observes:’By the party’s own logic, it has some explaining to do.’

It certainly has.