Greens win Citizens’ Jury

Campaign funding and finance will be examined by a Citizens’ Jury, following an agreement between the Green Party and the Government.

The Jury will include representatives from every electorate in the country and will be resourced so as to provide a considered opinion about the future of political party and campaign funding.

“We are really pleased to have been able to secure this process, which will provide representatives from every electorate in New Zealand an opportunity to contribute.

“Citizens’ Juries and citizens’ assemblies have been used overseas to consider and review issues such as this. The great beauty of Citizens’ Juries and assemblies is that they take the debate away from the political parties and hand it over to a group of citizens without a vested interest.

“We believe that a Citizens’ Jury is the best place to consider the contentious issues of political party and campaign funding that have been raised in the debate around the Electoral Finance Act.

“While the Act was needed to close loopholes in the law revealed at the last election, we need a more inclusive and disinterested process to further consider the bigger picture of political party and campaign funding.

“This method has been used very successfully in Canada and we hope it will provide a template for use in New Zealand in any future initiatives.

“We hope that all New Zealanders will support this process and that we can find a place to have some non-partisan reasoned discussion about the future of our democracy.”