266AExpenditure limits to be adjusted each election year

1. This section applies to the amounts referred to in the following provisions:

2. section 204B(1)(d) (the maximum amount of advertising expenses that may be incurred by an unregistered promoter):
3. section 205C(1) (the maximum amount of a candidate’s election expenses):
4. section 206C(1) and (2) (the maximum amount of a party’s election expenses):
5. section 206V(1) (the maximum amount of a registered promoter’s election expenses).

6. The amounts must be adjusted on 1 January of each election year by the Electoral Commission.

7. The first adjustment of the amounts must—

8. come into effect on 1 January 2026; and
9. be based on the adjusted amounts as they were before being rounded up for the purpose of the adjustment made on 1 July 2025 (the 2025 unrounded amounts); and
10. adjust the 2025 unrounded amounts to reflect the percentage movement between the CPI for the quarter ending 31 March 2025 and the CPI for the quarter ending 30 September 2025.

11. Every subsequent adjustment must—

12. come into effect on 1 January of the next election year; and
13. adjust the amounts to reflect the percentage movement between—
    1. the CPI for the quarter ending 30 September of the year preceding the last election year; and
    2. the CPI for the quarter ending 30 September of the year preceding the election year in which the adjustment is being made.

14. If, after adjustment in accordance with subsection (3)(c) or (4)(b), an amount is not a whole number of thousand dollars, the adjusted amount must be rounded up to the next whole thousand dollars.

15. If an adjusted amount has been rounded up in accordance with subsection (5), the adjustment next made to that amount must be based on the adjusted amount as it was before it was rounded up.

16. Despite subsections (2) to (4), no adjustment is made—

17. to an amount if, in respect of the amount, the effect of subsections (5) and (6) is that no adjustment is required; or
18. to any of the amounts if there is no percentage movement upwards between the CPI quarters referred to in subsection (3)(c) or (4)(b).

19. No later than 31 December in the year preceding an election year, the Electoral Commission must publish on its internet site the amounts applying on 1 January of the election year, being—

20. the amounts adjusted in accordance with subsections (3) to (6) that come into effect on that date; and
21. any amounts that, in accordance with subsection (7), have not been adjusted and that came into effect (or applied) on 1 January of the previous election year.

22. If, for any election year, the regulated period for the general election or a by-election commences before 31 December of the previous year and ends after 1 January in the election year, the amounts applying in respect of the general election or by-election are the amounts that came into effect on 1 January of the last election year.

23. In this section,—

    CPI means the New Zealand Consumers Price Index (All Groups) published by Statistics New Zealand or, if that index ceases to be published, any measure certified by the Government Statistician as being equivalent to that index

    election year means the year in which the term of Parliament is due to expire.