Election Access Fund
Te Tomokanga — Pūtea Whakatapoko Pōtitanga
Applications Panel Meeting
Date:
24 April 2023
Time:
1.00pm-2.30pm
Location:
Online via Zoom
Chair:
Dianne Glenn
Members:
Huhana Hickey
Robbie Watene
Jade Farrar
Leigh Deuchars, Electoral Commission
Other attendees:
Charmaine James (Secretariat)
Chantelle Griffiths, Electoral Commission (Senior Advisor)
Apologies:
None
Minutes Minutes of the last meeting The minutes were adopted with no corrections (Dianne/Huhana).
Action points completed:
• Charmaine has formatted the Assessment Form template with radio
boxes and comment boxes.
Matters arising:
• Huhana advised she is negotiating a podcast series with community radio,
focusing specifically on indigenous disability issues that will be politically neutral.
• Jade raised the matter of measuring the funding on precedence or merit on
each application for equipment, ensuring that due diligence is followed.
Conflict of Interests Nil
Applicant 001 $15,011.27 Recommendation: To approve the partial amount of $11,597.45 for the support assistant
and travel expenses with further review of the budget application for equipment.
Discussion points:
•
Queried how many hours the support assistant would need, why there was
both vehicle mileage as well as taxi fare budgeted in the application.
•
Queried whether the applicant has individualised funding.
•
Discussion around the feasibility of purchasing the equipment, and if it would
server better to part fund or hire for a period of time.
•
Travel budget has been confirmed as either or taxi/support assistant vehicle
mileage claim from transporting applicant to/from meetings in the Wellington
region.
•
Noted that the suggested figures in the Application budget are guidelines
only and actual costs will depend on individual circumstances and clarification of
costs provided.
•
Queried why the candidate with no previous political involvement has been
chosen as a candidate but was confirmed by Chantelle that the applicant has had
prior exposure to the political environment, extensive mentoring and involvement
over the years and gained exposure in an assistive capacity.
•
Queried on how payment of the granted fund would be made, it was
confirmed that the full approved amount is paid to the candidate, and they will
record expenses, report back in the form of an interim and end of funding reports
supplemented with receipts and invoices on expenditure and the surplus is
recovered once they have completed their candidacy campaign.
Action:
• Charmaine to send the decision document to Leigh for approval before
informing the applicant of the outcome.
Process improvements The following process improvements were identified during discussion of Applicant 001:
• It is important to understand the applicant's expose to the political
field. More detail is needed.
• Future assessment forms to be drafted as sharepoint/web based forms to
make it easier for panel members to complete.
• The sentence about costs covered/not covered by the fund is confusing.
Actions:
• Charmaine to investigate converting the panel assessment form to a
sharepoint/web based form that will remove the barrier of having panel
members download forms, complete and save on personal devices and then
forward to the EAF team prior to meetings.
• EAF team to source hiring alternatives for acquiring equipment for next
meeting to make a decision on hiring or purchase with possibility of partial
payment/token payment to take on the device after campaign.
Update from Electoral Commission staff There have been fewer than expected enquiries or applications received since the last
meeting (16 January 2023) that are relevant to candidacy for the general elections or
campaign work.
There will be another social media advertising campaign scheduled for the near future.
Information packs were sent out to political parties, as well as electronic communication of
television advertising campaign, prior to launch.
MOJ will need to review from a policy perspective on how successful the Election Access
Fund has been once this election campaign is over, with the understanding that this will take
time to reach an acceptable level of success. Also to consider supporting local body
elections instead of just the general elections and by-elections, which would require a
change in legislation to be filed.
Any other business Nil
Next meeting Monday 8th May 2023, 1pm.
