NRT: The police are still ignoring electoral crime

Written By: - Date published: 3:05 pm, July 3rd, 2014 - 17 comments
Categories: crime, election 2011, electoral commission, police - Tags:

no-right-turn-256Reposted from No Right Turn.

NewstalkZB reports on the woeful state of police enforcement of our electoral laws:

The Electoral Commission is saying nothing about apparent police inaction on breaches of the electoral law.

Information provided by the Commission reveals that since the beginning of 2011 there have been 113 breaches of the Electoral Act that it’s referred to police for investigation.

Not one has resulted in a prosecution.

According to a report in January last year, only five of those cases had been resolved, with none resulting in prosecution. The others were still under “investigation” – including 62 cases of double voting. But if they don’t sort it out by November, then the prosecution time-limit will kick in, and these people will escape justice.

Its crystal clear that the police do not regard this as a priority, and instead would rather focus on “real crime”, like personal drug use. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: if they don’t want to do the job they’re funded to do, we should take it off them and give it to someone who will do it: the Electoral Commission.

17 comments on “NRT: The police are still ignoring electoral crime ”

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  1. Draco T Bastard 1
    3 July 2014 at 3:43 pm

    None of them resulting in prosecution isn’t really the problem. After all, if the evidence says that no crime was committed then there shouldn’t be a prosecution. The problem is that so few are even being resolved. This does indicate that the police aren’t even investigating and probably does show that the police have their priorities wrong.

    We need to change those priorities as our democracy is more important than drug crime and pretty much every other crime as well.

  2. McFlock 2
    3 July 2014 at 3:47 pm

    Agreed. It seems somewhat redundant for the EC to investigate an issue, and if there’s a case they hand the file over to the police – for what? The investigating has been done. ACC can prosecute, why not the Electoral Commission with suitable support from Crown Law?

  3. Tracey 3
    3 July 2014 at 3:56 pm

    But five people in Northland have been fined for not completing or partially completing a census form. I think our priorities are straight, dont you?

  4. Wonderpup 4
    3 July 2014 at 4:08 pm

    I’m loathe to bring up electoral fraud (double voting, &tc) as it can get taken up by the right to make an argument for more stringent voter ID rules. That’s somewhere we don’t want to go.

    • One Anonymous Bloke 4.1
      3 July 2014 at 4:11 pm

      It’s hard to articulate good sense in the face of authoritarian gibberish so we must give up?

      • Wonderpup 4.1.1
        3 July 2014 at 4:22 pm

        Its more that demanding photo ID, specifically a driver’s licence, may sound sensible, and certainly doesn’t appear to be authoritarian gibberish. Of course, it is in reality an attack on the underprivileged.

        If NRT wants to to frame a criticism of the lack of consequences on candidates breaking the law, then I’m 100% behind them. I think it would be a mistake to include voter offences in that criticism, as it could easily be used as a stick with which to beat the least able to defend themselves, and a general disenfranchisement.

        • One Anonymous Bloke 4.1.1.1
          3 July 2014 at 4:48 pm

          The Right will present red herrings no matter what. No use pretending the argument doesn’t exist: win the argument.

        • Matthew Whitehead 4.1.1.2
          4 July 2014 at 2:28 pm

          No, individuals committing electoral fraud can and should be charged as appropriate, because it makes clear how ridiculously small a problem this is.

  5. fisiani 5
    3 July 2014 at 5:16 pm

    This is outrageous and will only worsen in September as the Left will stoop to anything as they believe the end justifies the means.

    • McFlock 5.1
      3 July 2014 at 5:27 pm

      I note you haven’t committed yourself as to whether:

      • you think it’s outrageous the cases haven’t been followed up; or
      • you think that the post is outrageous because you suspect the only people with capacity diminished enough to forget they’d already voted would be tories
    • Tom Jackson 5.2
      3 July 2014 at 5:49 pm

      The easiest way of working out what crimes the right plans to or is executing on the rest of society is to look at what they are accusing the left of.

      It’s like some weird self diagnosis that manifests itself in projection onto others, and it’s uncannily accurate.

      • In Vino 5.2.1
        3 July 2014 at 7:27 pm

        One of the best posts I have read, Tom. It reflects a sad aspect of human nature.

  6. Nakiman 6
    3 July 2014 at 10:37 pm

    That is why Cunners broke the law he knew he wouldn’t be prosecuted.

    http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/9479310/Serial-litigant-takes-aim-at-Cunliffe

  7. Slippery 7
    4 July 2014 at 12:25 am

    So Last Year Nakiman ,story Last updated 08:41 05/12/2013

    Police were yet to decide whether there were grounds for prosecution.

    But McCready said if police took too long, then he would launch a private prosecution.

    “I’ve diaried it for the end of May, because you have six months to make a prosecution,” McCready said.

    Times up, i.e no grounds for prosecution have been found

    • Nakiman 7.1
      4 July 2014 at 10:05 am

      “So Last Year Nakiman ,story Last updated 08:41 05/12/2013
      Like I said Cunners broke the law because he knew the police ignore electoral crime,
      just because it happened over six months ago doesn’t make it ok.
      Cunners excuse for breaking the law was that he forgot, he is an arrogant prick and thinks he is above the law.

      • One Anonymous Bloke 7.1.1
        4 July 2014 at 10:14 am

        So arrogant he has taken full personal responsibility (that thing you pay lip service to) for it. Kind of puts your howly-bag outrage into context, eh.