2011 Broadcasting Allocation Decision Released
MEDIA ADVISORY
Wednesday 1 June
2011
Electoral
Commission
Te Kaitiaki Take
Kōwhiri
2011 Broadcasting Allocation
Decision Released
The Electoral Commission has released its decision on the amount of time and money allocated to political parties for the broadcasting of election programmes for the 2011 General Election.
The Commission’s decision is available online at www.elections.org.nz and is summarised below. Fifteen parties are eligible to receive an allocation of time and money for the 2011 General Election. A total of 72 minutes has been made available for opening addresses and 60 minutes for closing addresses by both TVNZ and RNZ. The amount of money appropriated by Parliament for the broadcasting allocation is $2.855 million excluding GST (the same as for the 2005 and 2008 elections). The amounts shown in the table below include GST.
Parties | Monetary allocation (inclusive of GST) | Time allocation of opening addresses (in minutes) | Time allocation for closing addresses (in minutes |
New Zealand Labour Party (Labour Party) | $1,150,000 | 20 | 16 |
The New Zealand National Party (National Party) | $1,150,000 | 20 | 16 |
The Green Party of Aotearoa/New Zealand (Green Party) | $300,000 | 8 | 7 |
ACT New Zealand (ACT Party) | $160,000 | 5 | 4 |
Maori Party | $160,000 | 5 | 4 |
New Zealand First (NZ First) | $100,000 | 3 | 2.5 |
United Future New Zealand (United Future) | $100,000 | 3 | 25 |
The Alliance (Alliance) | $20,000 | 1 | 1 |
Aotearoa Legalise Cannabis Party (ALCP) | $20,000 | 1 | 1 |
Coalition of New Zealanders | $20,000 | 1 | 1 |
The Kiwi Party (Kiwi Party) | $20,000 | 1 | 1 |
Libertarianz | $20,000 | 1 | 1 |
New Zealand Sovereignty Party | $20,000 | 1 | 1 |
Pirate Party of New Zealand | $20,000 | 1 | 1 |
World Peace Party | $20,000 | 1 | 1 |
Radio New Zealand (RNZ) | $3,250 | - | - |
Total allocated | $3,283,250 | 72 | 60 |
Total available | $3,283,250 | 72 | 60 |
The process for determining the broadcasting allocation
is set out in Part 6 of the Broadcasting Act 1989. A party
is only eligible for the broadcasting allocation if:
(a)
the party is registered on the Register of Political Parties
by 20 October 2011 (the date for dissolution of Parliament),
and
(b) the party has given notice to the Electoral
Commission that the party considers itself to be qualified
for an allocation by the date required by the Electoral
Commission (the deadline was 17 March 2011).
The Electoral
Commission must allocate the time provided by TVNZ and RNZ
and the money appropriated by Parliament to eligible parties
in accordance with the statutory criteria, which are:
(a)
the number of persons who voted at the preceding general
election for a party and its candidates;
(b) the
number of persons who voted at any by-election held since
the preceding general election for any candidate for the
party;
(c) the number of members of Parliament who
were members of a political party immediately before the
expiration or dissolution of Parliament;
(d) any
relationships that exist between one political party and
another party;
(e) any other indications of public
support for a political party such as the results of opinion
polls and the number of persons who are members of the
party;
(f) the need to provide a fair opportunity
for each registered political party to convey its policies
to the public by the broadcasting of election programmes on
television.
The Commission may vary the allocation decision under certain circumstances provided for in the Broadcasting Act 1989, including, for example, if a party fails to register as a registered political party by 20 October 2011.
More information about the broadcasting
allocation process is available at
http://elections.org.nz/files/Broadcasting_allocation_decision_31_May_2011.pdf
[Scoop copy: Broadcasting_allocation_decision_31_May_2011.pdf]
ENDS