Dave Gee: Life from Right Field

The Electoral Commission this week told ACT leader Rodney Hide that his distinctive yellow jacket could breach Labour's 'Electoral Finance Act'.

The Commission says under the act, the jacket (which features the Act Party logo and the slogan "The guts to do what's right") could be classed as an election advertisement. They told Hide that his canary-yellow jacket needed an authorising statement to comply with the EFA.

The complaint is daft enough, as is the revelation that the complainant was 21 year old Andy Moore, a commerce student at Canterbury University, and chairman of the small but enthusiastic "Gingers for Justice" wing of the Act on Campus group.

The redhead denies he was being "colourist" with his complaint about the yellow jacket, but did it because he was "strongly opposed to the Electoral Finance Act, and just wanted to show how stupid it is".

Moore made the formal complaint to the Electoral Commission, pointing out that Hide wore the jacket in public in Newmarket. He included two photos of Hide wearing it along with a newspaper article.
Hide said was "embarrassed and pissed off at Moore". His tailor saw red over the drama, but has since made an addition to the $1,300 yellow jacket, with a new label which complies with the draconian law.

The Electoral Commission will make a final ruling on the complaint by early December, and says it will take the late authorisation statement into account.

However if it finds Hide committed an "illegal practice", the ACT leader could face a fine of $10,000, along with a $40,000 fine for the party's financial agent.

* NZ Herald: Act supporter canary jacket whistleblower