21 September 2000

Greens call for School Boards to be elected by STV

Green Party Co-Leader Rod Donald has lodged a member's bill in today's ballot which amends the School Board of Trustee regulations to give Board's the option of adopting STV for next year's elections, if they want to.

At the moment the Education Act regulations prescribe first past the post for school board elections.

"STV is an ideal system for school board of trustee elections, " said Mr Donald.

"When I voted in the last round of School Board elections I was struck by the inadequacies of first past the post. Faced with the chance to choose seven Board members out of around a dozen candidates I was easily able to select four who I really wanted elected but then had to decide whether I would risk negating those votes by ticking another three candidates," he said.

"I was very conscious that a vote for a candidate who I didn't feel strongly about could be the vote which defeated one of my favoured candidates. Equally if I didn't vote for a full slate, then one of the people who I didn't want on the board might make it.

"STV reflects a natural approach to voting where we are inclined to rank people in order of preference. It is a very simple system to use and I believe many boards would choose to adopt it if they had that option," he said.

"Introducing STV for school board elections compliments my Bill to make STV optional for local body elections and the Green Party submission to incorporate preferential voting in MMP for both the electorate vote and the party vote."

Rod Donald is also writing to the Minister of Education, Trevor Mallard, requesting that he make STV an option for next year's school board of trustees elections.

"The Minister has the power to add an STV option and I hope he will, especially given the Government's intention to use STV for District Health Board elections," said Rod Donald.

Rod Donald MP: 04 470 6660, 025 507 183

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