2020 Broadcasting Allocation Decision Released

The Electoral Commission has released its decision on the allocation of funding to political parties for election advertising on radio, television and the internet for the 2020 General Election.

The amount of money appropriated by Parliament for the 2020 Broadcasting Allocation is $4,145,750 incl GST ($3,605,000 excl GST).

The following table sets out the allocation of money to eligible political parties.

- These parties are currently unregistered.

The process for determining the broadcasting allocation is set out in Part 6 of the Broadcasting Act 1989.

A party is only eligible for the broadcasting allocation if:

(a) the party has given notice to the Electoral Commission that the party considers itself to be qualified for an allocation by the date required by the Electoral Commission (the deadline was 28 February 2020), and

(b) the party is registered on the Register of Political Parties by 12 August 2020 (the date for dissolution of Parliament).

The Electoral Commission must allocate the money appropriated by Parliament to eligible parties in accordance with the statutory criteria, which are:

(a) the number of persons who voted at the preceding general election for a party and its candidates

(b) the number of persons who voted at any by-election held since the preceding general election for any candidate for the party

(c) the number of members of Parliament who were members of a political party immediately before the expiration or dissolution of Parliament

(d) any relationships that exist between one political party and another party

(e) any other indications of public support for a political party such as the results of opinion polls and the number of persons who are members of the party, and

(f) the need to provide a fair opportunity for each registered political party to convey its policies to the public by the broadcasting of election programmes on television.

The Commission may vary the allocation decision under certain circumstances provided for in the Broadcasting Act 1989 including, for example, if a party fails to register as a registered political party by 12 August 2020.