Every New Zealander deserves to have a say in how our country is governed, regardless of how much money they have. But right now, wealthy corporations and rich individuals are donating huge sums of money to political parties.
For example, in the lead up to the 2017 election, Talley’s – one of New Zealand’s largest fishing companies – was the second biggest donor to election campaigns. Like most other New Zealanders, I don’t have tens of thousands of dollars to give to a political party like Talley’s does. With this uneven playing field, it’s hard to trust that our elected leaders will deliver for all New Zealanders, not just their wealthy backers – many of whom are anonymous. We have a right to know who is funding politicians, so that we can assess the potential motivations of the parties and candidates we are voting for.
A healthy democracy should not allow money to drown out the voices of everyday citizens – and yet our democracy lacks the basic safeguards that would prevent this from happening.
With the Government currently reviewing the settings around political donations, this is a chance to change this, kick big money out of politics and give everyone a fair say in how Aotearoa is governed. Other countries have done it – a recent report from intergovernmental experts on democracy IDEA found that one in five countries have already banned corporate donations, and many have strict limits on anonymous donations.
The Labour Party’s former Justice Minister Andrew Little said in 2019 when he announced a ban on foreign donations – “There’s no need for anyone other than New Zealanders to donate to our political parties or seek to influence our elections.” I agree. And corporations are not New Zealanders. They are businesses with profit motives and vested interests. Big business should not be allowed to donate to political parties and influence our elections.
What is more: even the ban on foreign donations is riddled with loopholes, with anonymous and corporate donations providing alternate ways for foreign donors to find a way in. Ministry of Justice officials have pointed out that: “banning overseas donations without also amending the threshold for anonymous donations may undermine the intent of the change.” Donations from companies registered in New Zealand are also not considered foreign donations, even if the companies are wholly owned by people outside New Zealand.
So it’s clear the system is broken. This is why we at Greenpeace are engaging in the consultation being run by the Ministry of Justice is currently open – and closing this tuesday. We’re calling for a ban on corporate donations, a ban on anonymous donations above $100 and a cap on the amount any one individual can donate to a political party or candidate.
Our rivers are polluted, our drinking water is becoming contaminated, much of our native wildlife is on the brink of extinction. Without urgent political action we risk further worsening the climate crisis and losing the very things on which we depend for our survival like clean water, sufficient food, and safety from extreme events like wildfires, storms and floods. With the climate and biodiversity crises breathing hot extinction down our necks, our leaders should not be allowed to receive political donations from the polluting and extractive companies who are fuelling this environmental breakdown.
It has never been more important than right now to strengthen our democratic system and reduce the influence of money from big business and rich individuals on our political leaders – and you can have your say by making a submission before 5pm tuesday.
For a fair and flourishing Aotearoa, elections should be truly about the ballot, not the banknote. It’s time to ban corporate donations, bring to light exactly who is donating to political parties, and cap the amount rich individuals can donate so that we all get to have a fair say in the future of Aotearoa, regardless of how much money we have.