There was also some discussion on Morning Report [audio] this morning about Gerry's speech - during which Gerry made a little slip. Talking about the 100 MP bill's potential to enhance the influence of the Maori Party, Gerry said:
Well thats the simple maths of it. We sent the bill to the Select Committee because a lot of New Zealanders have over a period of years said "Parliament's too big, lets get it smaller", and we think there should be a debate about that. But while we have the current electoral system, there are consequences of that. But even leaving those aside, the real issue here is whether or not you should tinker with the size of your Parliament without looking at the electoral system and some wider constitutional issues.
(Emphasis added)
Which strongly suggests that National won't be backing the bill when it comes out of committee. While I'll be pleased to see National do the right thing here, I'd far rather they did it on the basis of all the good reasons to oppose the bill, rather than so transparently on the basis of naked political calculation about electoral advantage.
(The same, of course, applies to the Maori Party).
I have difficulty with the electoral math for the Maori Party. Wouldn't they be advantaged by a decreasing the number of list seats as their overhang would be larger relative to the total size of parliament; increasing their weight in the house?
ReplyDelete(Not that I think they should vote for it, but struggling with the math a little :)
Isn't the desire not to look at the size of Parliament in isolation one of the really good reasons to oppose the bill?
ReplyDeleteWasn't that a major problem with the '99 referendum?
If we were to look at wider constitutional issues (the size of the executive, the proportion of list seats, the number and scope of select committees etc.) many of the arguments surrounding a 100 MP Parliament could be negated.
Anita: Yes, they would. And I don't think National likes the idea.
ReplyDeleteGraeme: Yes. But national's idea of the wider picture is not MMP, but the Maori seats, and it seems driven more by a desire to limit the political power of the Maori Party than to prevent MMP from being wrecked.