Don Brash MP
National Party Leader

17 October 2006

Clark's clean slate bill 'cynical self interest'

National Party Leader Don Brash says the National Party will oppose the bill being introduced to validate expenditure found by the Auditor-General to be unlawful.

"This is nothing more than a cynical exercise in self interest. National will hold Labour and other parties to account as they seek to pass this bill under urgency.

"It is very clear that at least some of the parties in Parliament have no intention of paying back what they owe and today those parties intend to change the law to remove their obligation to do so.

"This is the political equivalent of the clean slate bill. But it is being rammed through Parliament at lightning speed without adequate analysis and in spite of conflicting legal opinions."

Dr Brash says National has finally this morning received a copy of the bill.

"But I have repeatedly said that National will not support legislation that may be used as an excuse not to pay back unlawful election spending. On the face of it this bill looks as if it will do just that."

Dr Brash says all parties have a moral responsibility to pay what they owe before the validating legislation is considered.

"Passing a law by the narrowest of margins to make what is illegal legal will not remove the stench of corruption from Helen Clark's Government. The damage has already been done. This legislation merely adds to the odour," says Dr Brash.

ENDS

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