The Smallest Parties in Parliament -- Part 2, United Future New Zealand

In the 2011 General Election, 47% of the List votes cast went to National, 27% to Labour.

At the other end of the spectrum there are three parties (Mana, United Future and ACT) whose combined share of the List vote amounted to about 3%. They are in Parliament because they each won one electorate seat.

What do these parties think? Do they have more influence than democratic principles might recommend?

The second of these party leaders will be In Conversation with Noel Cheer on Triangle Television this week. He is the member for Ohariu and Leader of United Future New Zealand, Peter Dunne. Though his party received 0.6% of the country-wide List vote, his personal following in Ohariu gave him the seat in Parliament and, by arrangement with the majority National Party, he is a minister outside cabinet.

Next week's Conversation will feature John Banks of the ACT Party.

Triangle Television, Wednesday 25th of July at 7:00pm and repeated Thursday 26th of July at 12:30pm.

Triangle Television, the home of original public broadcasting, can be received in the Auckland region on UHF Channels 41, 42 and 52.

Triangle Television is also transmitted live on streaming TV – an emerging technology – which can be received (as a live feed) on broadband-connected computers and on Internet-connected television sets throughout New Zealand. Point your browser (Internet Explorer, Firefox, Chrome, Safari ...) to www.ecasttv.co.nz

"In Conversation with Noel Cheer" receives funding from New Zealand on Air. This has enabled Triangle Television to introduce viewers to over 200 New Zealanders on Air over the last 5 years of continuous weekly broadcasting.

ENDS

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