National declares $30,000 donation from roading lobby group

NATIONAL BUSINESS REVIEW: The roading lobby of New Zealand has donated $30,000 to the National Party, an Electoral Commission register shows.

Under the Electoral Finance Act all donations over $20,000 must be declared within a fortnight of receipt.

The commission's register shows a group called the Road Transport Trust donated $30,000 to the National Party on August 27.

The trust is registered at the same address as commercial transport lobby-group the Road Transport Forum.

Green Party co-leader Russel Norman said it was good parties now had to almost immediately disclose large donations, but further changes were needed.

"It is hardly surprising that National would be funded by the roading lobby given their obsessive compulsive desire to waste our taxes building new motorways rather than public transport, but it is good they have been forced to tell the public some information about their funding sources prior to the election."

Dr Norman said the Greens wanted the law changed so rolling disclosures also had to include the identity of people giving to a trust.

Other donations that have been made public by the new rolling disclosure provisions are a $30,000 donation by National leader John Key to his party in June and a $100,000 donation from businessman Alan Gibbs to ACT in April.

The register also shows Green Party MPs Jeanette Fitzsimons and Sue Kedgley donated $34,000 and $21,000 to their party respectively.

Three other individuals, Stuart Bramhall, Christopher Marshall and Bryan Forde, contributed $37,000, $44,000 and $24,000 respectively to the Greens.