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Kick-starting Kiwi democracy: Why New Zealand should abandon MMP

New Zealanders need to seize the opportunity of the upcoming referendum on electoral reform and reinvent their system of government, says a new report from The Centre for Independent Studies.

In Superseding MMP: Real Electoral reform for New Zealand CIS researchers Luke Malpass and Dr Oliver Marc Hartwich recommend that New Zealand should abolish its Mixed Member Proportional system (MMP) and reform the structure of Parliament.

In the 13 years of its operation, MMP has failed to live up to its promises. It has not made politics more transparent, more straightforward, or more representative. Prime Minister John Key’s referendum to be held at the time of the next election should initiate debate about the structure of our Parliament.

“It is high time to replace MMP with a system that actually works,” says Mr Malpass.

To reinvigorate the democratic process in New Zealand and determine the future of New Zealand’s electoral system, the report’s authors make the following recommendations:

•The House of Representatives should shrink to just 79 MPs, who would be elected under a First-Past-the-Post system by their constituencies.

•Maori electorate seats and the Maori electorate roll should be wound up.

•A new upper house Senate should be established, comprising 31 Senators elected on a proportional basis. This new Senate will both provide a check on power and allow the interests of smaller parties to be represented.

“Our proposed reforms strike a balance between effective government and essential checks on power”, Luke Malpass explains.

New Zealand’s current system of MMP is based on the electoral system of Germany, which was first used in the 1996 election.

But Dr Hartwich, a German lawyer/economist, says: “Germany’s electoral system may be an interesting case study for political scientists, but it is not a panacea for other countries’ political problems."

“It’s time to deliver New Zealand a robust and accountable electoral system,” says Malpass.

Luke Malpass is a Policy Analyst with the New Zealand Policy Unit at The Centre for Independent Studies. Dr Oliver Marc Hartwich is a Research Fellow with the Economics Program at The Centre for Independent Studies.

They are both available for comment.The report is available at www.cis.org.au/policy_monographs/pm109.pdf

ENDS

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