MMP Minister Urged To Change Stance.

Keep MMP Hawkes Bay convenors Maxine Boag and Liz Remmerswaal are urging the Justice Minister to reconsider her stance on not implementing changes to the MMP system.

Ms Boag and Mrs Remmerwaal, both councillors, say the once in a generation consideration of our electoral system is a serious matter, and the process deserves to be completed, not left unfinished late in the piece, which they say is hugely disappointing.

“The electoral system belongs to the people, not to the Parliamentarians. By not putting forward draft legislation, the government is effectively denying the public the opportunity to formally respond to proposed changes to MMP in legislation, and finish this process fully.”

'For the citizens of New Zealand, this is about fair play, and it feels like the goal posts have been shifted.
The public cast their votes in good faith on this issue."

Although changes in time for the 2014 election now seem unlikely, the women encouraged the Justice Minister to not drop this matter entirely.

“There are still options. If not for the 2014 election, then there is no reason why parties could not continue to work on modifications to MMP, and bring forward changes to be implemented for the 2017 election.”

All parties should commit to continuing to progress this matter, they said.

"Given that 77 percent of the public submissions to the review and 52 percent of the general public support abolishing the one-seat threshold, how can she justify leaving this hugely unpopular coat-tailing rule in place for the next election?"

The review of the MMP system recommended several changes, including getting rid of the "coat-tailing" provision that exempts a party from having to meet the five per cent Party Vote threshold if the party gets at least one MP.

It also recommended lowering the Party Vote threshold from five per cent to four per cent.
Ms Boag and Mrs Remmerswaal were part of a national wide group that campaigned to keep MMP at the 2011 referendum .

ENDS

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