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Regulated period for the 2011 General Election and Referendum

The regulated period for the 2011 General Election and the referendum on the voting system commences on Friday 26 August 2011 and ends on Friday 25 November 2011 (the close of the day before polling day). 

Expense limits apply to candidates, parties and third party promoters who publish, or continue to publish, election advertisements or referendum advertisements during the regulated period, whether or not the cost of the advertising is paid or incurred before, during, or after the regulated period.
 
The total election expenses at the general election in respect of the regulated period are as follows:
  • a candidate must not exceed $25,000
  • a party must not exceed $1,032,000 (this amount will be adjusted for inflation by Order in Council on 1 July 2011) and $25,000 for each electoral district contested by a candidate for the party
  • an unregistered promoter must not exceed $12,000
  • a registered promoter must not exceed $300,000.
The total referendum expenses in respect of the regulated period are as follows:
  • an unregistered promoter must not exceed $12,000
  • a registered promoter must not exceed $300,000.
All the above amounts are inclusive of GST.
 
These are new provisions which came into force on 1 January 2011 with the passing of the Electoral (Finance Reform and Advance Voting) Amendment Act 2010 and the Electoral Referendum Act 2010.