Poetic Justice....Rodney, in Scotland we have a saying "Nae Luck Pal"
The Electoral Commission has found New Zealand First's party secretary did not break the law over incorrect returns last year, but that the Act Party did.
Act had repeatedly attacked NZ First over its alleged failure to declare cash and donations, and its leader Rodney Hide laid a police complaint relating to the 2007 return.
The commission on Thursday night released its decision saying while New Zealand First did not declare donations in 2005, 2006 and 2007 it was not asking for a prosecution.
"No offence committed by the Party Secretary (Anne Martin) in respect of the 2007 annual return," it said.
"New Zealand First is required to file amended returns and accompanying auditor's reports for the 2005 and 2006 years."
"The determination is in respect of the actions of the Party Secretary for New Zealand First only, as considered under Part 6 of the Electoral Act."
It did not release full findings, to avoid prejudicing the police investigation.
The party got an $80,000 donation from its Spencer Trust in 2007. It was the only year the commission could act on as the period for prosecutions expired on the other years.
The Serious Fraud Office (SFO) this month cleared NZ First after investigating two donations to the party. It found the money was used for the purpose the donors - Sir Robert Jones and the Vela family - intended.
NZ First leader Winston Peters was stood down from his foreign affairs and other portfolios while the SFO inquiry was carried out, and Prime Minister Helen Clark took over.
The police investigation is ongoing and the Auditor-General is looking into party affairs.
In an ironic twist, the Act Party was found by the commission to have failed to clear use of office space when it should have.
The commission says Act got free office space from Sir Robert for a number of years until 2005, at a value of approximately $20,000 per annum.
It was a party donation and was not included in Act's annual returns of donations for the relevant years, the decision said.
The commission has ordered Act to file amended party returns for the years it received free office space when its value was greater than $10,000 annually.
Act leader Rodney Hide says he is surprised by the findings.
Hide says he's not embarrassed and the ruling is no big deal, and is easy to fix. He says all they have to do is fill out a new form declaring the donation.
Hide says one of Act's MPs years ago secured the space for their parliamentary office and was told them they didn't need to declare it.
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