NZ First gets $161,000 boost from anonymous donors, latest Electoral Commission disclosure shows

NZ First has received $161,000 in large anonymous donations within the last three months.The money was given to the party through the "protected from disclosure" scheme, which shrouds donors' identities in secrecy.The donations are within the rules and were revealed by the Electoral Commission in a new disclosure on Thursday afternoon.While NZ First got the biggest boost from large secret donors, bringing its annual total to $173,162, National still has by far the most from this source with $346,160.The latest update shows National received another $30,000 and ACT $15,000 since the last update by the commission.With one quarter still to be reported, 'protected from disclosure' donations of $629,322 this year have exceeded 2023's total by more than a quarter of a million dollars.The scheme allows donors to give up to $61,425 per party during this election cycle through the protected from disclosure scheme without public scrutiny. The donations are funnelled to political parties by the Electoral Commission to keep the donor's identity secret.Donors need to confirm they are based in New Zealand but don't have to explain why they want to donate in secrecy.They are banned by law from telling anybody - including the recipient - that they have donated, or even that they intend to. Breaching this rule can result in a $10,000 penalty.Other methods of donating require the public disclosure of donors who have given more than $6000. If a donor wants to remain hidden from the party as well as the public the most they can donate is $1500, unless they use the "protected from disclosure" channel.Prior to 2026, donations to NZ First through this mechanism were smaller. In 2023, the party received just $5000, however it did receive $88,628 in 2017 and $61,822 in 2020.The latest donation boost came via three donations of $51,160, $50,000 and $15,000.Since the scheme was introduced in 2008 Labour, the Greens and Te Pāti Māori have not received any donations of this type.A recommendation to abolish the scheme was put forward by an Independent Electoral Review in 2023.In August, Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith told RNZ numerous recommendations were made in the review's final report, which the government considered."Abolishing protected disclosure donations is not a priority, just as it wasn't for the previous Labour Government either."Professor Andrew Geddis, from the University of Otago law faculty and Transparency International New Zealand executive director Julie Haggie have previously told RNZ they believe the recommendation should be revisited."I do think that the current way we're funding our political parties is very problematic. I think that it is undermining a certain degree of trust and confidence in the way our political processes work."Opportunity party, which has received $70,000 in protected from disclosure donations this year, is campaigning on a policy to "clean up politics". It aims to ban "pass-though arrangements" and says this policy is a bottom line for a coalition agreement.The Green party has published a draft bill relating to political donations. It includes capping donations, and lowering the threshold for the disclosure of donor's names, but doesn't remove the protected from disclosure scheme.