74.Subsection (1) requires each registered party to have three registered office-holders, namely a registered leader, registered nominating officer and registered treasurer. The same person may be registered as the holder of two or three of these offices. Subsections (2) and (3), which relate to the registered leader and registered nominating officer respectively, reproduce the provisions in paragraphs 4(2) and 5(2) of Schedule 1 to the Registration of Political Parties Act 1998. The requirement for registered parties to have a registered treasurer is new. Subsection (4) provides that the registered treasurer is to be responsible for compliance with the accounting requirements in Part III and the controls on donations in Part IV and, unless a person is registered as the party’s campaigns officer, with the controls on election and referendum expenditure in Parts V to VII. It is made an offence to register as the treasurer of a party a person who, within the past five years, has been convicted of an offence under the provisions of the Act or in connection with a relevant election.
Commentary on Sections Part II: Registration of political parties Section 24 : Office-holders to be registered