New Zealand to ban foreign political donations over $33

NewZealandmoved tobanlargeforeignpoliticaldonationsand misleading social media advertisements Tuesday amid concerns about offshore interference in next year's general election.

Justice Minister Andrew Little said the move,which barsdonationsover NZ$50 (US$33),was aimed at protectingNewZealand's democracy from a growing international threat.

"We need to protect the integrity of our elections. These changes will reduce the risk offoreignmoney influencing our election outcomes," he said.

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"We don't want our elections to go the way of recent overseas examples whereforeigninterference appears to have been at play."

Little did not say which countries prompted thebanbut experts have consistently pointed the finger at China.

"It's in China's interest to extend influence inNewZealand, there's nothing wrong with that,that's what great powers do," Rodney Jones, aNewZealandeconomist based in Beijing told Newshub earlier this year.

"It's up to us. We need to set boundaries well ahead of time."

US intelligence saysforeigninterference played a major part in the 2016 American presidential election and a Canadian intelligence report this year found cyber-attackers targeted half the national elections held in major democracies in 2018.

NewZealandgoes to the polls in late 2020, when centre-left Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern will seek a second term.

Under existing laws,foreignpoliticaldonationsinNewZealandare capped at NZ$1,500 (US$975), although some say loopholes effectively raise the threshold to NZ$30,000.

Thenewlimit forforeignor anonymousdonationswill be NZ$50.

"There's no need for anyone other thanNewZealanders to donate to ourpoliticalparties or seek to influence our elections," Little said.

The changes also require onlinepoliticaladvertisements to contain details about their creators, which Little said was aimed at stopping the "avalanche of fake news social media ads" seen during overseas elections.

"Anonymous online advertisements aimed at interfering with our democracy will be prohibited," he said.

"If someone wants to advertise online they need to say who they are, the same as if the adwas published in a newspaper."

NewZealand's spy chief raised concerns aboutforeignpoliticaldonationsduring a rare public appearance at a parliamentary committee hearing in April.

"In broad terms, I can say that we have seen activities by state actors that concern us," NewZealandSecurity Intelligence Service director-general Rebecca Kitteridge said.

The measures must now pass parliament, where the governing coalition has a majority.