Electoral Funding Act 2018

If at any time a party agent for a party is absent or otherwise unavailable, the registered officer of the party under the Electoral Act 2017 or under the Local Government Act 1993, as the case requires, may lodge the following on behalf of the party agent—

a declaration under Part 3, Division 2,

a claim for a payment under Part 4 or Part 5.

Despite subsection (1), a registered officer may lodge a declaration or claim or both on behalf of a party agent only if—

the registered officer has completed the training prescribed by the regulations for appointment as a party agent, unless the person is of a class of persons recognised by the regulations as a person eligible for appointment as a party agent without further training, and

the party agent or the registered officer has given the Electoral Commission written notice of the party agent’s absence or unavailability and the registered officer’s intention to lodge declarations or claims or both under this section during the absence or unavailability.

To avoid doubt, a party agent for a party remains the person responsible for making a disclosure required under Part 3, Division 2 even if the registered officer of the party has lodged a declaration under this section.

A reference in section 142 to a party agent is taken to include a reference to a registered officer of a party under the Electoral Act 2017 or under the Local Government Act 1993 exercising functions under this section.