71Payments to parties endorsing the same candidate or group

71 Payments to parties endorsing the same candidate or group

71 Payments to parties endorsing the same candidate or group

(cf section 62 EFED Act)

(1) If the Electoral Commission is satisfied that 2 or more registered parties endorse the same candidate or same group of candidates for a State election and that the candidate or candidates each claim to be endorsed by those parties—

(a) those parties are taken, for the purposes of this Part, to constitute one registered party instead of 2 or more registered parties in relation to the candidate or candidates at that election, and

(b) the amount that would otherwise be payable from the Election Campaigns Fund to that one registered party in respect of the election is payable instead to those 2 or more registered parties as shared funding.

(2) An amount payable to 2 or more parties as shared funding is payable to them—

(a) in equal shares, or

(b) in such other shares as the party agents of those parties agree on and as are specified in a direction in writing (a shared funding direction) signed by them and served on the Electoral Commission.

(3) If a registered party would, but for this subsection, be entitled to be paid 2 or more amounts by virtue of subsection (1), the party is entitled to be paid only one of those amounts, being the largest amount.

(4) A shared funding direction remains effective until revoked by the party agents of the parties concerned and notice in writing of the revocation is served on the Electoral Commission.