MMP –does it work for you? Do you know how it works and do you know anything about other types of voting systems?The present electoral system is open now for public discussion and debate. Questions have been formulated for a referendum that will go to all New Zealanders at the next election.
We have the present system because absolute power was vested in the hands of certain political parties that, when elected, rammed through a range of legislation and policies that were never mandated or debated – namely, the Muldoon administration, the Lange administration and the first Bolger administration.
New Zealanders lost their appetite for the first-past-the-post electoral system, and voted to move to an MMP system to stop radical programmes being rammed through. MMP does moderate politicians' behaviours. There is an argument that the tail wags the dog and that argument has been made against the present National Party in terms of trade-offs it must conduct with its minority coalition partners – the Act Party and the Maori Party. The Labour administration faced the same criticism when in coalition with the Greens or NZ First.
By the time we go to the polls in 2011, we will have had 15 years of MMP government and five elections. I am in favour of a Mixed Member Party system but would like more belts and braces around it. For example, if a sitting constituent member cannot hold on to their local constituency, it is quite clear they have lost the faith and confidence of their electorate and they should not be able to return off a party list.
Second, just by winning one electorate you should not be able to use party votes to bring in new MPs.
Rodney Hide won Epsom and achieved 3.4% of the party vote and ended up with five MPs. My view is that they must not only win one seat but cross the magic threshold of 5% before they can bring in any other MPs.
Further, absolute transparency and accountability must be declared in regard to any form of funding or support given to advance whatever party one supports. This means that unions, the Exclusive Brethren, larger corporates and other large donors of over $1000 must be made to declare the type of support being given to any political party or any politician individually representing a party.
It is important that we have an understanding of the way in which party votes work because under our present system they are the most important vote cast, even though your second vote cast for your constituent local MP is important also.
In the event of the Maori Party leaving the coalition it has with National for whatever reason , and it might be that the Foreshore and Seabed legislation is unworkable or that the Whanau Ora policy is not funded , this would make the National/Act coalition not only difficult but close to a recipe for a short-term government.
The Maori Party provides a moderating buffer against the right-wing policies of the Act Party. Without the Maori Party, Key and Hide could be accused of fronting the government that favours the top end of town at the expense of everyone else.
It will be interesting to see how the Maori/National relationship is kept on track.
Sunday News, February 21, 2010