Greens after an open Govt and set election date

NEW ZEALAND: The Green Party wants more open government, starting with a fixed election date which it would treat as a priority in any post-election talks.

Co-leader Russel Norman today released a package of changes the Greens wanted to make government transparent including making Cabinet minutes public within a month of decisions being made, tightening up donations to political parties and having a register of lobbyists.

"The simplest one to do is the fixed election date," he told reporters.

"Let's just deal with that, let's not have this game about election dates - it's just a joke."

He said in light of recent controversies around donations to political parties it was time to fix the system.

"Too often New Zealanders are kept in the dark about the decisions that are taken on their behalf and they have very little information about who is providing money to political parties.

"And citizens are mostly unaware that businesses routinely employ paid professional lobbyists to influence the decisions of government and Parliament."

Dr Norman said the public had the right to know what and how decisions were made, who is giving parties money, who is using lobbyists, and should get better access to information.

Elements of the policy included:

* opening all archives within 30 years;

* setting an annual limit of $35,000 on donations to parties from any one person or entity and in local government a requirement for councillors to disclose pecuniary interests and declare donations over $500;

* disclosing the real identity of those behind donations over $1000;

* going ahead with the citizens assembly on campaign finance;

* a register for lobbyists disclosing clients, target, methods and subject;

* register of pecuniary interests must cover donations for barrister fees;

* an MPs' Code of Conduct;

* including Parliament within OIA, with protections to protect parties from government intervention;

* having a parliamentary vote before ratifying treaties; and

* resource applications and consents and breaches being made public.

Dr Norman thought the Greens would be able to progress changes to make the Official Information Act more effective but expected resistance in other areas, especially opening up Cabinet.

The Greens would seriously look at opening their books from next year.

"If we're not going to move there as a Parliament then I think the Greens probably need to move there."

Dr Norman said a set election date meant a shorter period for election spending could be set.

"All of the different scandals and so forth that have been happening it would help tremendously for people to have confidence in the integrity of our democratic system if there was much more transparency about what was going on. We believe this open government package will provide that transparency."