STV Defeat A Wake-Up Call To Smaller Parties

Lower Hutt's rejection of STV in favour of retaining First Past The Post is a wake-up call to smaller parties to prove they can work constructively to get good things done for New Zealanders, says Grant Gillon, Progressive Local Government Spokesperson.

"The STV voting system is a more representative and therefore democratic voting system than FPP.

"The message from Nelson, Christchurch and now Hutt City is clearly that many New Zealanders doubt minor parties will use their influence constructively and they are expressing that scepticism by rejecting STV," Grant Gillon said.

Grant Gillon said New Zealanders aren't fully aware of how well the Mixed Member Proportional representation electoral system is in fact working at the national level. "Unfortunately bad news is often judged more 'news worthy' than good news which is perhaps why you don't see many media reports about how well MMP is working in our national Parliament in Wellington," Grant Gillon added.

At the moment, the Labour-Progressive coalition needs the support of at least one Opposition party - or seven votes - to get its Budget passed, or to pass any laws.

"Of the 30 contested laws enacted since last July's general election, 25 got the support of more than one Opposition party. New Zealanders can in fact take comfort from the fact that at a central government level political parties are acting responsibly and constructively instead of playing political games. If politicians at a central level can do this, then there is good reason to hope that the same can happen at a local level," he added.

"The Progressives are particularly pleased that in the past seven weeks we have won the support of diverse Opposition parties to make our communities safer with laws aimed at limiting the harm associated with methamphetamine or speed, to curb teenagers and children from misusing spirits they can't handle and to tackle socially unacceptable behaviour from so-called boy-racers," Grant Gillon said.

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