Labour biggest spender at poll

Political parties are spending more on election campaigns but some are getting more bang for their buck.

The Electoral Commission has released a summary of campaign spending for last year's election.

The figures show the Labour Party spent the most - its total declared spending by party and candidates was more than $4.6 million. In 2002, it spent around $2.8 million.

The National Party spent $3.8 million in 2005, compared with $2.6 million in 2002.

National must consider this money well spent, having increased the number of MPs from 27 in 2002 to 48 at last year's election.

The results look less pleasing for the Act party. In 2002 it spent $2 million and romped home with nine MPs.

Last year, its $1.4 million outlay earned it only two MPs.

New Zealand First spent $771,193 in 2005, up on the $592,721 it spent in 2002. Despite increasing its spending, it had fewer MPs - down from 13 in 2002 to seven in 2005.

Of the other parties with MPs, the Green Party spent $834,616 ($878,622 in 2002), United Future spent $409,154 ($242,790 in 2002), and the Progressive Party spent $318,297 ($339,863 in 2002).

The One New Zealand Party spent the least last year - just $675.

Despite being allocated $10,000 in broadcasting money, the Republic of New Zealand Party spent none of it.

The totals included declared party spending on advertising, broadcasting and publishing as well as electorate candidates' declared election expenses.

After the election, Labour came under attack from the Opposition over its use of $446,000 of taxpayer money from Prime Minister Helen Clark's leader's budget for the party's credit card-sized election pledge card.

But Labour in turn attacked the National Party, claiming it benefited from more than $1 million spent by the Exclusive Brethren cult.

National was also found to owe $112,000 to broadcasting networks for GST.

National blamed that predicament on a misunderstanding between its headquarters and its advertising agency.

It was allowed to spend $900,000 on broadcast advertising during the election campaign. The advertising agency spent it all without considering GST.

National has been trying to introduce legislation allowing it to pay the money back but other parties have blocked it from doing so, accusing National of trying to subvert parliamentary processes to get itself out of an embarrassing situation.

- NZPA