Such transparency is self-perpetuating, but in the area of election spending, despite commendable and tireless work by the Standards in Public Office Commission, the complete picture in respect of the amount spent in what is known to have been the most expensive general election ever will never be revealed. That begs the question as to whether buying votes will ever be acceptable, the answer to which is negative. It leads us to the harsh reality of financial input into an election needing to be strictly regulated. Money is undoubtedly the key to election success, but, when it comes to the weight which tips the balance, it is time to address the situation as a matter of urgency. It comes as no surprise that the Government, in planning to overhaul electoral spending, proposes to increase the limits rather than place stronger controls and stricter limits on the amounts that may be spent before and during an election campaign.