Does the TPM Secretary know he could face jail time?

I previously blogged on how the Electoral Commission referred Te Pati Maori to the Police for not filing their annual financials statements by 30 June 2024, as required by law.

Their party secretary is Lance Norman (a manager in one of the Tamihere organisations) and I wonder if he realises the personal risk he is at.

S210J(2) of the Electoral Act says:

A party secretary is guilty of a corrupt practice if the party secretary, without reasonable excuse,(a) provides the Electoral Commission with annual financial statements for the party after the late period; or
(b) fails to provide the Electoral Commission with annual financial statements for the party.

The late period is 15 working days from the deadline, so 21 July 2024, which we are three months past. So Mr Norman could be charged with a corrupt practice, not just an illegal practice.

And what is the penalty?

either or both a term of imprisonment not exceeding 2 years or a fine not exceeding $100,000

The fine might not be a concern as he could be reimbursed for that, but if I was Mr Norman I’d be very worried about the possibility of jail time, unless he has a reasonable excuse for not providing the party’s financial statements as required by law.

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