Financial Disclosure Compliance Review Report

A report into financial disclosures and compliance of registered political parties (including their associated entities), third-party campaigners and candidates in the 2020 Territory Election was released by the Northern Territory Electoral Commission today.

“The report into the review of financial disclosure and compliance carried out by the independent accounting firm BDO, is now available on the NTEC website,” Electoral Commissioner Iain Loganathan said.

“The compliance review covered the election period from 1 January 2020 through to 18 days after the election result was declared, a period which is defined under disclosure laws that came into force on 1 January 2020,” he said.

Overall the review found that "there was a satisfactory level of compliance with the provisions of the Act in relation to returns and electoral expenditure for selected political party candidates, registered political parties, associated entities and third-party campaigners with respect to the August 2020 Northern Territory elections".

However, Mr Loganathan said there were some electoral participants who had not fulfilled the requirements as described in the new legislation.

"We will be contacting those people and organisations and asking them to explain why they have not complied," Mr Loganathan said.

"Once we have considered those responses we will decide what further action is appropriate.

"This is the first election since extensive reforms in financial disclosure laws were introduced and the commission has focused on educating political participants about their reporting obligations."