mmp Archive

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  MMP changes belong to the people, not parties - by Holly Walker

  
  
  
  The final report of the MMP review was released yesterday after a robust public consultation process. Parliament now needs to respect this process and implement recommendations that will strengthen our electoral system in the long term. read more
  November 6, 2012 8:55 pm - 5 Comments
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  Remembering Rod: Seven years on - by frog

  
  
  
  Today’s the seven-year anniversary of the death of our beloved first male co-leader, Rod Donald. For those who didn’t know him, Rod was passionate about fair elections and worked long hours to secure electoral reform here in New Zealand in the early 1990s. Our current voting system – MMP – has been described by former [...] read more
  November 6, 2012 11:18 am - 3 Comments
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  Last chance to have your say on MMP - by Holly Walker

  
  
  
  Public submissions on the MMP Review Proposal Paper close this Friday, so there are only a few days left to have your say on changes to our voting system. The proposal paper is the last stage of public consultation on MMP, before the Electoral Commission reports their findings to the Minister at the end of [...] read more
  September 3, 2012 3:32 pm - No Comments
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  MMP report great chance to strengthen system - by Holly Walker

  
  
  
  This week, the Electoral Commission released their proposal paper on changes to MMP, following extensive public consultation on our voting system. The Electoral Commission have produced a great paper, which outlines their recommendations with detailed analysis of the public submissions they received and the implications of the potential changes to elections in New Zealand. The [...] read more
  August 16, 2012 5:58 pm - 1 Comment
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  Only hours left to have a say on MMP! - by Holly Walker

  
  
  
  Submissions close on the first stage of the MMP Review Process TODAY! It’s really easy to have your say, even at the last minute – there’s a quick 5-minute submission guide on the MMP Review website and we’ve written a submission guide to help out as well. The public submission process means that we can [...] read more
  May 31, 2012 2:29 pm - No Comments

• Beyond Today: a values story, and the Greens’ story - by Claire Browning

  
  
  
  Beyond Today: a values story is the Green party’s story. On the Greens’ fortieth birthday, it says Values is a history of which the party should be very proud, and values are the new politics We need the quants, and the poets, both. We need the activists and the Members of Parliament, the individuals, and [...] read more
  May 16, 2012 11:13 am - 33 Comments
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  MMP review submission guide - by Holly Walker

  
  
  
  If you’re thinking of submitting to the MMP review, and you’d like to be heard in person, look sharp! There’s only a week left to get your submission in (deadline 5 April). If you just want to make a written submission, relax, you’ve got until 31 May. We’ve created a submission guide that outlines the submission process and the issues under review. read more
  March 29, 2012 9:00 am - No Comments
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  MMP review – Make it More Proportional - by Holly Walker

  
  
  
  This week the MMP Review was launched by the Electoral Commission, meaning our voting system is now open for public discussion and input. Through a submission process we all get the chance to have a say on how our voting system works and what we’d like to see changed. You can make a submission online, [...] read more
  February 17, 2012 12:04 pm - 42 Comments
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  Good Green gains in final election results - by frog

  
  
  
  The final election results are out, and the great news is that the Greens have achieved an historic high of 11.06% of the party vote.  That gives us one additional MP to the election night count – the talented Mojo Mathers. Mojo’s election will cause a shake-up in the way things work around Parliament.  Shamefully, [...] read more
  December 10, 2011 9:50 pm - 5 Comments
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  Ohariu: deal or no deal? - by Gareth Hughes

  
  
  
  There’s been a lot of talk lately on electorate deals and I’d like to put myself on the record as the Green Party candidate standing in Ōhariu. read more
  July 24, 2011 7:51 pm - 15 Comments
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  Anti-MMP forces look like they are going to play dirty - by frog

  
  
  
  Over at g.blog Toad highlights some appalling disinformation about the MMP referendum from Cameron (Whaleoil) Slater: Cameron Slater, most likely deliberately, has got it completely wrong on the MMP referendum. Slater blogs: Some peo­ple are already sug­gest­ing that MMP should be reformed but that is not the ques­tion in this ref­er­en­dum. What we are being [...] read more
  June 29, 2011 3:44 pm - 11 Comments
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  MMP referendum information campaign under way - by frog

  
  
  
  The information campaign for the MMP referendum has been announced today. There is a wealth of information on the Electoral Commission website that is worth checking out – remember the future of our democracy is at stake here! We think MMP is the fairest system as it makes everyone’s vote count equally no matter where [...] read more
  May 26, 2011 3:33 pm - 14 Comments
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  Cleaning up our country – toxic sites - by Catherine Delahunty

  
  
  
  The “100% Pure New Zealand” myth has long been busted but work to clean up the country has lagged behind for many years. This is partly because it costs real money to tackle our worst problems such as the roughly 20,000 contaminated sites across the country. One of the reasons I stood for Parliament was [...] read more
  May 26, 2011 9:06 am - 5 Comments
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  NZ Herald: MMP deserves to survive referendum - by frog

  
  
  
  Today’s NZ Herald editorial reflects on the outcome of the UK referendum on Preferential Voting as an alternative to First Past the Post and saying how ‘lucky we are’ to have managed the reform of our 19th Century unfair First Past the Post (FPP) system. The arguments for electoral reform were familiar to New Zealanders. [...] read more
  May 11, 2011 1:09 pm - 9 Comments
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  MMP leads the way - by frog

  
  
  
  It is great to see MMP leading in the latest referendum poll. MMP is a much fairer electoral system than First Past the Post. Under MMP the amount of votes a party gets determines how many seats it gets. It is a proportional system which means that there is no chance of an unfair or [...] read more
  May 10, 2011 10:32 am - 8 Comments
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  Don Brash and SM - by frog

  
  
  
  To be clear this is isn’t a blog post about Don Brash’s sexual predilections. It is about Don Brash’s call for supplementary member electoral system (SM) to replace MMP. It looks like Don and his rich right wing business buddies have decided that reselling FPP is too hard. So they have gone for supplementary member voting system which is [...] read more
  May 5, 2011 10:30 am - 10 Comments
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  Congratulations Canadian Green Party - by Kennedy Graham

  
  
  
  It is great to see that Elizabeth May has won the Canadian Green Party’s first seat in the Canadian Parliament. The NZ Greens offer her our heartfelt congratulations on such an extraordinary accomplishment.  We wish her the best in holding the Conservative Party to account. I lived in Canada (Ottawa) for three years a while [...] read more
  May 4, 2011 1:19 pm - 5 Comments
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  Ugly, inaccurate and incomprehensible - by Metiria Turei

  
  
  
  This unidentified billboard has appeared in Cable Street: ugly, inaccurate and incomprehensible.  Perhaps that’s why no one was prepared to put their name to it.  I can only guess that it is has been paid for by the First-Past-the-Post lobby that is pushing to get rid of proportional electoral systems. It seems to lament the [...] read more
  October 19, 2010 3:35 pm - 28 Comments
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  Australia has a Government, but needs to consider electoral reform - by frog

  
  
  
  The decision of Independent MPs Rob Oakeshott and Tony Windsor to support Labor has given Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard the numbers to govern. Their decision follows those of the sole Green Party House of Representatives MP Adam Bandt and former Tasmanian Green Andrew Wilkie (who was elected as an independent) to also support Labor [...] read more
  September 7, 2010 6:41 pm - 10 Comments
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  An MMP moment in the House - by frog

  
  
  
  In a moment straight out of Hollywood and a demonstration of an MMP Parliament working as it should, the Minister walks into the Chamber with a handwritten amendment to the Bill… Minister Simon Power was persuaded by the debate in the House to amend the legislation under discussion. The right of the accused person to [...] read more
  July 2, 2010 4:32 pm - 4 Comments
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  Once lost, integrity in one’s democracy cannot be easily restored - by frog

  
  
  
  The MPs on the Electoral Legislation Select Committee need to treat the threat to democracy posed by unfettered campaign spending seriously, and listen to New Zealanders urging spending limits for the 2011 electoral referendum. read more
  June 25, 2010 5:10 pm - 8 Comments
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  Last day to make a submission on MMP! - by frog

  
  
  
  Last day to make a submission on the MMP refeferendum bill, go on do it! The bill needs to set up spending caps to make sure the  referendum is a battle of ideas not money. Our submission guide If the online form on the parliamentary web site doesn’t work, then use our one instead. read more
  June 10, 2010 11:35 am - 1 Comment
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  MMP referendum bill – 6 days left to make a submission - by frog

  
  
  
  The fight to keep MMP is on. The bill to set up the MMP referendum is now at Select Committee. You have a chance to have your say by making a submission – do it now submissions close next week on Thursday 10 June. If you are keen to make a submission, check out our [...] read more
  June 4, 2010 11:05 am - 3 Comments
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  Do we really want to go back to FPP? - by frog

  
  
  
  The recent British election has clearly demonstrated what a deeply flawed and undemocratic system FPP is. The Labour Party got 6% more of the vote than the Liberal Democrat Party but they got over 400% more seats- seem fair to you? MMP is a much fairer system as pretty much everyone’s vote counts and so [...] read more
  May 11, 2010 1:50 pm - 59 Comments
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  MMP referendum, submit now - by frog

  
  
  
  The Electoral Legislation Committee has called for submissions on the Electoral Referendum Bill. You can make an online submission or a written submission (enclose two copies), by Thursday, 10 June 2010. read more
  April 27, 2010 12:44 pm - 9 Comments
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  This is how crap FPP is – statistically speaking - by frog

  
  
  
  How inefficient is FPP, really? How many votes are wasted in an FPP electoral system? Someone with a statistics mind has come up with a way to measure this, and the results are a real eye opener… read more
  April 26, 2010 12:38 pm - 9 Comments
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  FPP: A perverse affront to democracy - by frog

  
  
  
  Today the Electoral Referendum Bill will have its First Reading in Parliament, so it is timely to recall how much of a perverse affront to democracy the First Past the Post (FPP) electoral system New Zealanders threw out in 1993 was. read more
  April 22, 2010 12:33 pm - 18 Comments
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  Public want spending caps - by frog

  
  
  
  Looks like the public agree that elections should be a battle of ideas not money. Check out this poll, last time I looked 83% of people voted for lobby groups having campaign spending caps.   Last week Metiria grilled Minister Power about caps in the House. read more
  February 25, 2010 12:19 pm - 3 Comments
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  MMP makes every vote count equally - by frog

  
  
  
  In this week’s Listener, Jon Johansson, sets out a few good reasons why NZ should reconsider before getting rid of MMP or to quote Jon – “putting [our] proud democratic tradition to the test.” For a start, under MMP more of our voices can be seen and heard in Parliament: …it is indisputable that MMP [...] read more
  September 22, 2009 11:06 am - 59 Comments
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  What’s up and wrong with the Supplementary Member System - by frog

  
  
  
  Image by Lyndon Hood Just when we have started to get our heads around MMP, people are now kicking around the supplementary member electoral system (SM) as an alternative (Key and the anti-MMP campaigners seem to like it). So what’s wrong with SM? The amount of votes you get does not determine the number of [...] read more
  September 9, 2009 1:10 pm - 60 Comments
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  Launch of anti-MMP moves selectively leaked - by frog

  
  
  
  According to NZ Herald Columnist Fran O’Sullivan the issue of a referendum on MMP was discussed at cabinet on Monday 31 August 2009.   Yesterday Ms O’Sullivan informed Newstalk ZB drive time host Larry Williams of how this information was conveyed to her – presumably by Mr Key – and how the parliamentary press gallery was [...] read more
  September 8, 2009 6:35 pm - 47 Comments
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  Jeanette replies to Gordon Campbell - by Jeanette Fitzsimons

  
  
  
  [Jeanette is writing in response to Gordon's recent article in the Wellingtonian] MMP is obviously rough on journalists who can’t conceive of anything other than a 2-party system. But the country has had MMP for 15 years now and it’s time to catch up. I can’t imagine anyone is under any illusion, after our fight [...] read more
  May 19, 2009 7:01 am - 21 Comments
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  Captain Capitalism’s alternative to MMP - by frog

  
  
  
  This cartoon is slightly out of date now, except as a tidy explanation of the benefits of two party first past the post presidential style elections so favoured by opponents of MMP. There is more relevant Christmas themed Captain Capitalism here. read more
  November 19, 2008 1:09 pm - 1 Comment
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  The money or the bag? - by frog

  
  
  
  Yesterday’s Herald has John Key on MMP: Key says the referendum on MMP will be held in two parts – a binding plebiscite on election day 2011 on whether MMP should be retained or ditched, and a second binding plebiscite on what might replace it. This list, he indicated, could include first-past-the-post (the predecessor of [...] read more
  November 10, 2008 1:25 pm - 6 Comments
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  Garth George accidentally endorses MMP - by frog

  
  
  
  Does anyone understand Garth George in the Herald today? He concludes: As for me, both my ticks on Saturday will go to National. Thus do I vote against both Labour and MMP. Ok, so no surprise he’s not fond of MMP, except that he notes earlier: The Greens have earned a presence in Parliament… And: [...] read more
  November 6, 2008 11:13 am - 3 Comments
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  Counting your vote - by frog

  
  
  
  Slate has a complicated mathematical piece trying to explain to Americans why their vote really does count even though it seems pointless in among the tens of millions of votes that will have no effect at all on the race to the White House.  The end result seems to be you should vote in the [...] read more
  November 1, 2008 8:16 am - 16 Comments
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  Nelson goes Green - by frog

  
  
  
  Spotted in Nelson this morning: Russel was also in Nelson this morning. Is that him under all that fur, taking a break from being the face of the campaign?  It looks like his satchel to the left of the photo, but I suspect he’s more likely in the caravan having a cuppa tea. Meanwhile the [...] read more
  October 30, 2008 3:27 pm - 8 Comments
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  The biggest party with the biggest misconception - by frog

  
  
  
  Brian Rudman sets National straight today on its misconception that being the biggest party automatically gives it a moral mandate to govern, even if more people voted for it not to be in government: The sniping about MMP is a smokescreen for the critics’ inability to adjust to the new rules. They’re talking horse racing [...] read more
  October 29, 2008 2:25 pm - 15 Comments
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  Who will it be? - by frog

  
  
  
  Triennially the question goes on to all the MMP parties: So who’s it going to be, who will you go with? This time, with the exception of the Maori Party, we pretty much know the answer, or will know the answer before the election for all of them.   But what we don’t know is [...] read more
  September 25, 2008 8:29 am - 53 Comments
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  It’s not winner take all - by frog

  
  
  
  There’s a misconception in some corners of political coverage that this election is ‘winner takes all. For instance yesterday Deborah Coddington writes: If Key keeps on smiling through personal attacks – and reassuring New Zealanders that, under his watch, this country won’t go belly up – National might win the election. Which, in these crazy [...] read more
  September 22, 2008 9:28 am - 11 Comments