Parties in Parliament often operate like a business cartel when it comes to their state funding - they're always doing deals to protect and increase their access to taxpayer funds. This is more apparent than ever with the current scandal - as reported by the Dominion Post article MPs may change funding rule. Even though all the parties have probably breached the Public Finance Act, they will try to find a way to change the rules and avoid paying any money back. Apparently, 'Labour is likely to find allies in the Green Party, NZ First and possibly ACT in resisting the auditor-general's view that the use of their special taxpayer-funded leaders and members budgets during the election campaign broke the rules.' Already Peter Brown, Rodney Hide, and Jeanette Fitzsimons have expressed their opposition to the findings of the Auditor General. Fitzsimons quite blantantly declared that cross-party talks will be needed to find a solution - ie the self-interested cartel continues.
Coverage continues in the NZ Herald, with an article Prime Minister stands firm over election spending and 'We have to pay, so why shouldn't they?'. The first article points out that the finding could have implications on spending by parties outside the election campaign period as well, and that Helen Clark will resist any recommendation that the parties pay back Parliament for past infringements. She plays the usual cartel card of saying that the rules weren't clear and that everyone was doing it and the rules have been changed after the fact. The article points out that 'it is rare for Cabinet ministers, let alone the Prime Minister, to challenge the findings of such independent officers.'
The second article provides the responses from beneficiaries who have been stung for overpayments etc. They quite rightly don't think political parties should be treated differently in having to repay money spent illegally.