KEY POINTS:
New Zealand First will remain in breach of rules requiring it to reveal donations to the party of more than $10,000 until leader Winston Peters returns from overseas to sign off the paperwork.
Wednesday was the deadline for all political parties to file returns of donations received during 2007 to the Electoral Commission.
Act and New Zealand First missed the deadline. Yesterday, interim New Zealand First president George Groombridge said the party would make its return by mid-May. "It is all in hand, I can assure you of that," Mr Groombridge said.
"The right honourable Winston Peters will be back in the country on the 16th and he will be tying up the final loose ends, but everything else has been done ... and has all been approved by the board."
Mr Peters is on a trip to the Middle East and Europe. The party's finances have been the subject of much speculation after Mr Peters and former party President Dail Jones gave conflicting accounts of where the party found $158,000 it gave to Starship hospital - a donation which was later returned.
Mr Jones told the media he found a significant sum from an unknown source deposited in NZ First's account just before the party gave the $158,000 to Starship.
Soon after Mr Peters said Mr Jones was "completely wrong" but did not explain what the true situation was.
Act president Garry Mallett said the party's return was currently with the auditor, and it hoped it would be filed next week.
"We were tardy, we were slow to get it done," Mr Mallett said.
"Our party secretary has already advised the commission we were going to be late."
Electoral Commission spokesman Peter Northcote said the commission had heard from both the overdue parties.
He said both Act and New Zealand First were aware of their obligations, and had said they would get their returns in as soon as they could.
"The commission next meets on May 19 and at that point it will consider if it wants to take any action against people who were late or are still overdue at that time."
Not filing a return without a reasonable excuse is an offence, and errant parties could be fined up to $20,000.
