Cor! Wot A Lot Of Voters

Dear Editor,

According to Alliance MP Grant Gillon, when responding to Mrs Shipley's criticism of the recent MMP Report, the majority of submitters to the Committee were happy with MMP and were happy to maintain 120 MP's.

The Select Committee received 290 submissions.

That represents a mere 0.00014% of the total valid voters at the last election in 1999 (2,047,473 voters).

Yet 76% in the 1999 referendum said they want a fresh referendum on the electoral system. That is 1,556,079 voters.

In addition, almost 82% said they wanted to reduce the number of MP's from 120 to 99. Again, that is 1,678,927 voters.

Comparing these numbers with the miserly 290 submission made to the Select Committee and suggesting it is representative of the population says it all, is mischievious and has little or no relevance to the debate.

Mirek Marcanik

120 MMP's Warts 'n All

Dear Editor,

So, a committee of MP's has ignored the wishes of four out of five voters to reduce the size of Parliament.

Despite its own research, which showed 76 per cent of voters want a fresh referendum on the electoral system and the result of the 1999 referendum which saw almost 82 per cent of voters wanting to see a reduction in the number of MP's from 120 to 99, this select group has decided to recommend the status quo and continue lining the pockets of the countries elected officials at the taxpayers expense.

On top of that (and presumeably in justification), the Prime Minister blithly announces that "...the public appetite for change to the system had abated since voters got rid of a "very bad government" at the last election".

Perhaps the Prime Minister could provide comprehensive details of the process by which this "abatement" has been determined because it is certainly not the impression I have gained from the people I talk with.

Mirek Marcanik

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