Political parties need to place greater emphasis on transparency when filing electoral returns, political commentator Dr Bryce Edwards says.
Southern National Party candidates Jacqui Dean, Michael Woodhouse and Hamish Walker only listed the National Party as donor on their candidate returns and it was ''never a good look''.
''It would be helpful if the parties, and, in this case, National, were a bit more upfront in explaining this,'' he said.
''It's only right and natural that the public is a bit sceptical about donations being bundled to candidates via the party.''
Clutha-Southland MP Todd Barclay declared a $24,654 donation, as well as other donations, from the National Party and Dunedin South MP Clare Curran declared a $15,400 donation from the Labour Party's South Dunedin branch.
By not disclosing how the funds were raised, candidates might be damaging their reputation, Dr Edwards said.
''They are not necessarily breaking any laws or doing anything unethical, but they aren't being transparent,'' he said.
''It certainly does seem very suspicious and possibly quite clumsy, because it's so obvious the rules are being pushed to the limit.''
Politicians needed to address the concern of the voting public and acknowledge the ''spirit'' of the law.
''There is a changing mood in the electorate about money and politicians and growing suspicions [about the links] between wealth and power and politicians would do well to go the extra mile to be transparent and not just rely on following the law to the letter.''
