New Zealand MP David MacLeod publicly acknowledged in an address to the press his error in failing to declare 19 candidate campaign donations to the Electoral Commission. This omission resulted in New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon’s decision to remove MacLeod from the position of Chairperson of the Environment Committee. MacLeod accepted responsibility for his oversight and offered an apology.
MacLeod emphasized that it was never his intention to obfuscate the donations. He explained that his error resulted from a misunderstanding, where he believed the declaration was applicable only for the 2023 year. A corrected return has now been submitted to the Electoral Commission.
The donations MacLeod failed to declare totalled $178,000. One such donation came from a businessman with stakes in a seabed mining company seeking to gain from the Fast-Track Bill. MacLeod must now face a potential police investigation, which could lead to corruption charges.
The decision as to whether the matter will be referred to the police by the Electoral Commission remains uncertain. The Electoral Act 1993 specifies that should the Commission believe any individual has committed an offence dealing with donations, they are obliged to report these facts to the New Zealand Police, unless the offence is deemed so insignificant that no public interest is served by reporting.
In the wake of recent events, the Environment Committee reports Mike Butterick as the standing Chairperson. This coincides with the committee’s deliberation over the potentially contentious Fast-track Approvals Bill, intended to streamline decision-making for vital regional or national projects. The report on this proposed legislation is expected from the Environment Committee on September 6, 2024.