A candidate who stood for the Human Rights Party in last year's general election is refusing to submit his campaign expenses and says he is waiting to be arrested.
Anthony Ravlich stood in Auckland Central and gained 67 votes, 0.2 percent of those cast in the electorate.
Today he released an email he had sent to the Chief Electoral Office, telling it he was not going to complete the election expenses form "as a matter of principle" because his party's policies did not receive any publicity in mainstream media.
"In a democracy the media have a duty to inform people of matters important to their interests," he said in the email.
"Because this did not happen apart from the ballot paper on election day, in terms of policies the Human Rights Party may as well not even have existed."
The Chief Electoral Office responded with an email, dated March 9, saying failure to file a return was an offence under the Electoral Act.
"If the Chief Electoral Officer does not receive your return by 5pm tomorrow, the Act requires that he refers the matter to the police," it said.
Mr Ravlich's press statement that accompanied copies of the emails was headed "former candidate awaiting arrest".
