{"id":75660,"date":"2025-09-11T12:21:00","date_gmt":"2025-09-11T00:21:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/aotearoa\/?p=75660"},"modified":"2026-02-12T12:47:17","modified_gmt":"2026-02-11T23:47:17","slug":"greenpeace-submission-on-the-electoral-amendment-bill-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/aotearoa\/publication\/greenpeace-submission-on-the-electoral-amendment-bill-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Greenpeace submission on the Electoral Amendment Bill"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Submitter Details<\/h2>\n\n

Greenpeace Aotearoa,<\/p>\n\n

11 Akiraho Street, Mt Eden, Auckland<\/p>\n\n

Introduction<\/h2>\n\n

We thank the Select Committee for the opportunity to submit on the Electoral Amendment Bill.   <\/p>\n\n

Greenpeace Aotearoa opposes the following changes that are proposed in the Bill:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n

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  1. The removal of voting rights for anyone who is not enrolled 13 days prior to election day;<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  2. The removal the voting rights from all sentenced prisoners<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n

    A robust and inclusive democracy, in which all citizens have a voice is crucial to a healthy environment. These changes pose a direct threat to good environmental governance and to the health of our democracy.  If enacted, they would undermine the cornerstone of our democracy – the right to vote. <\/p>\n\n

    In fact, the Attorney General has concluded that these proposed changes are inconsistent with the right to vote<\/a>, enshrined in the New Zealand Bill of Rights Act 1990 (BORA).<\/p>\n\n

    At a time when environmental protections are already under significant pressure from well-resourced corporate interests, excluding parts of the community from voting will further distort the balance of influence in our democracy.  <\/p>\n\n

    All governments, of all stripes, should strive to build a stronger, fairer democracy in Aotearoa, where all people have a say on decisions that affect them and the environment they rely on. But this Bill proposes to disenfranchise thousands of New Zealanders. Furthermore, these changes unfairly target and will disproportionately impact marginalised groups in our community.  <\/p>\n\n

    Greenpeace further opposes the following changes that are proposed in the Bill:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n

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    1. The increase in the anonymous political donation threshold from $5,000 to $6,000.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    2. The overly broad framing of bribery offences that risks criminalising legitimate democratic participation.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n

      In an age of growing political lobbying by fossil fuel, agribusiness and other industry groups, it is crucial that our democracy moves toward greater transparency, not less. <\/p>\n\n

      Any changes to anonymous donation thresholds should lower the cap, not make it easier for anonymous money to influence politics. Even small increases create more space for undue influence, especially when aggregated across multiple electorates. <\/p>\n\n

      The Bill also proposes new bribery offences that are drafted so broadly that they risk criminalising legitimate and innocuous electoral behaviour. As the Attorney-General’s report notes, Clause 43 could technically make it an offence to give a friend a ride to a polling booth.<\/p>\n\n

      We support robust measures to prevent corruption and vote-buying. But this clause, as written, overreaches and could suppress community-based efforts to increase voter turnout and engagement, particularly in underserved areas.<\/p>\n\n

      The Attorney General has concluded the following aspects of the Bill are inconsistent with the BORA<\/a>:<\/p>\n\n