Peter Dunne has hit out at the Electoral Commission after it refused to budge on its requirements for his party's reregistration, describing it as "petty bureaucracy'," "a rogue elephant" and "living in the days of quill pens and parchment".
Mr Dunne risks losing up to $185,000 a year in parliamentary funding if he cannot reregister United Future quickly, and hoped to persuade the commission that the party did not need to meet the same paperwork criteria as a new party.
But after the commission's board met him yesterday it insisted United Future provide signed and dated evidence of membership from at least 500 members - although it said the party could submit that evidence electronically and did not have to provide the original application forms. All applicants for registration must be treated consistently, it said.
Mr Dunne said it was "an absurd situation" and the Electoral Commission had wasted the chance to bring its processes up to date to recognise online transactions were standard practice, as it was in most other areas of society.
"These guys still live in the days of quill pens and parchment. I think there's now pressure on the Minister of Justice, Judith Collins, to bring this rogue elephant into line. This is petty bureaucracy gone mad and I'm surprised a man of the integrity and calibre of [commission chair] Sir Hugh Williams is swayed by such trivial nonsense from his petty advisers."
