Bizare match up of the day – Obama ends up supporting Jim Crow Laws!?!

Justice Thomas defended the recent decision to allow corporate influence in US elections. He added that the history of Congressional regulation of corporate involvement in politics had a dark side, pointing to the Tillman Act, which banned corporate contributions to federal candidates in 1907. “Go back and read why Tillman introduced that legislation,” Justice Thomas…

The EFA was supposed to stop the Exclusive Brethern

Naturally, Idiot doesn’t like the US declaring their version of the EFA unlawful. Last week, in a disastrous decision for American democracy, the US Supreme Court struck down third-party spending limits in federal elections. Writing in the Independent, Johann Hari points out exactly what that means: So if you anger the investment bankers by supporting…

Hedge Didn’t Breach EFA

Thank goodness we’ve had the end of this nonsense. The Electoral Commission has ruled that a hedge pruned in a way that showed the word “green” was no a breach of the law. The decision relates to the property of Aucklander Richard Green. The commission found the hedge was similar to that of the logo…

Kick the Dirty Dog

Labour’s EFA is like a tenant of a boarding house who’s dog craps on the carpet. They tell everyone that the carpet will be fine if no one steps on it, but then proceed to step in it themselves, then complain bitterly that no one was worried about it until National pointed out the stench.…

Labour Caught By Own Law (Again)

There can be no doubt whatsoever that Labour never intended this to happen when they passed the Electoral Finance Act. Labour Party signs have been removed from the front of the Dunedin South electorate office to comply with the Electoral Finance Act, Dunedin South MP David Benson-Pope says. Mr Benson-Pope was contacted yesterday after confusion…

EFA Strikes Again – Hard this time

This is funny, but somehow I don’t feel like laughing. It’s a sign of just scared the public should be of their current government and what they are prepared to do to stay in power. I marched 3 times to support the rights of people and organizations including unions from this sort of restraint. I…

Silence the Workers!

The EMPU is up in arms at National’s attempts to have the law enforced. The Engineering, Printing and Manufacturing Union (EPMU) says the National Party’s latest bid to stop it being registered to take part in the election campaign is an attempt to silence workers’ voices. Well, I guess they should have used their position…

Only Opponents of EFA Respect it as Law

Disgusting, but predicted many, many times. National, Act and the Maori Party – all of which opposed the changes to electoral law last year – are now the only parties which have not yet been ruled in breach of it, although Act MP Heather Roy was cautioned over a newsletter she produces. Hat Tip Homepaddock.

EFA – As predicted

One of the biggest concerns from this side of the political spectrum was that the EFA would only constrain those who respected the law – that is to say, the right. This is due to our observation that traditionally, left wing protests aren’t too fused on obeying the rules. Well, we were right. While even…

Post of the Day

Post of the day goes to Stephen Franks, pulling apart the decision of the Electoral Commission. A purposive interpreter might have assumed that Parliament intended to stop third parties acting under the influence of, or in collusion with, or congruently in campaigning with the party. Such an interpreter might have given a wide meaning to…