The word around the traps is that ACT will be announcing the name of its mystery 5th list candidate at its Law and Order policy launch this weekend and it’s rumoured that the candidate will be David Garrett.
Garrett is a Barrister and is also a legal advisor to the Sensible Sentencing Trust who drafted their draconian “Three Strikes” law.
One of the closest supporters of the Sensible Sentencing Trust is the Asian Anti-Crime Group. The AAG is the same organisation that, according to documents released by the EPMU, met with Rodney Hide to push its social and economic agenda and cut a deal to mobilise the Asian vote for ACT in exchange for places on the ACT list.
As has been previously noted here the Sensible Sentencing Trust has also refused to register under the Charities Act or as a third party under the EFA so there is no public record of its financial or party political activities.
If Garrett is announced as fifth on ACT’s list then there need to be some serious questions asked about the connections between the SST and ACT and about the extent these “anti-crime” groups are involved in party political campaigning for ACT while refusing to register with the electoral commission.
As Rodney is claiming to be “New Zealand’s leading proponent of accountability and transparency” I’m sure he’d be happy to answer any such questions openly.
For the record I have no problem with “tough on crime” groups working with “tough on crime” parties but I definitely want to know who it is that is trying to win my vote and how much they are spending to do so.
Update: Changed heading to “ACT’s fifth Candidate”. I doubt they’ll get to five MPs. I must be having a slow brain day.
