National’s
accusing the Government of denying New Zealanders their
right to choose, after Labour MP’s decided to oppose the
Electoral Options Referenda Bill at its first reading last
night.
“The people of New Zealand always expected to have
another say on the electoral system but this Government is
determined their voices will not be heard,” says National’s
Rangitikei MP Simon Power.
The bill provides for the
holding of two referenda on the electoral system and it’s
essentially the same process used when MMP was adopted in
1992/93.
The first referendum has two parts.
The first
part is whether electors wish to retain the current system
of Mixed Member Proportional (MMP) or want to change the
electoral system.
The second part asks all electors which
alternative they prefer.
“Of course the Greens are
siding with their former Labour buddies and voting against
the idea, it’s in their best interests to do so.
“But
that’s particularly surprising when they’re actively
campaigning to change the way Local Government is elected,”
says Mr Power.
“National was the party that helped bring
the current system into being, it’s had three terms to
mature and now voters should be allowed the chance to say
whether it’s right for us.”
Mr Power has been representing
a Private Members Bill lodged by New Zealand’s first woman
Prime Minister, National’s Jenny Shipley, in May 2001.
“If this Labour Government is serious about listening, then
perhaps it’s time to give New Zealanders the chance to have
their voices heard, instead of shying away from real
democratic processes.
“They should let the people - not
politicians - choose the voting system,” says Mr Power.
If you're using Scoop for work, your organisation needs to pay a small license fee with Scoop Pro. We think that's fair, because your organisation is benefiting from using our news resources. In return, we'll also give your team access to pro news tools and keep Scoop free for personal use, because public access to news is important!
Winston Peters is routinely described as the kingmaker who decides whether the centre right or the centre-left has a turn at running this country. He also plays a less heralded, but equally important role as the scapegoat who can be blamed for killing taxes that his senior partners never much wanted in the first place. Neither Ardern nor Robertson for example, really wanted a capital gains tax, for fear of Labour copping the “tax and spend“ label they ended up being saddled with anyway. Usefully though, they could tell the party faithful it was wicked old Winston who killed the CGT. More
The new coalition government of National, ACT, & NZ First will be stable, effective, and will deliver for all Kiwis. "Despite the challenging economic environment, New Zealanders can look forward to a better future because of the changes the new Government will make ... We believe in this country. We are ambitious for it. We know that, with the right leadership, the right policies and the right direction, together New Zealanders can make this an even better country," says incoming PM Christopher Luxon... More
The Labour Party has called for an urgent ceasefire in Gaza & Israel to halt the appalling attacks and violence so that a journey to a lasting peace can begin. “Along with other New Zealanders we are appalled by the devastation and loss of life. We recognise the grief of communities in New Zealand who have connections with those in the conflict,” says Chris Hipkins. More
MFAT's decision to remove te reo from correspondence before new Ministers are sworn in risks undermining the important progress the public sector has made in honouring te Tiriti. "We are very disappointed in what is a backward decision - it simply seems to be a Ministry bowing to the racist rhetoric we heard on the election campaign trail," says Marcia Puru. More