[fvc-wat-disc] FW: Re:New Zealand's experience with MMP

[Paul Nijjar]

--- ARI DAIGEN <adaigen at sympatico.ca> wrote:

Sorry. There are misstatements in Zachary's response, and I don't
want our team spreading falsehoods. 

> This is further shown by the diverse range and number 
> >of parties in our Parliament (currently about 10) and the growing
> number of women in our Parliament (about 1/3 currently) and ethnic
> minorities.
There are 8 parties, four of which did not earn 5% of the vote and
three of which got list seats thanks to the "single-seat threshold".
See:

http://2005.electionresults.govt.nz/partystatus.html

> Eighty-five 
> >percent of voters voted for MMP, and, though I am not aware of any
> statistics, I believe that that number would still be high. 

This is an outright falsehood. This person is talking about the 1992
referendum on electoral reform. 85% of people wanted to change away
from FPTP. 70% people selected MMP as their preferred alternative
(from a slate of 5). So don't go around saying that 85% of New
Zealanders prefer MMP. 

This person should know better to say that the number would be
anywhere as high -- in the next refeendum (1993) where FPTP faced off
against MMP, MMP won -- it received 54% in the referendum. 

http://www.elections.org.nz/study/history/history-mmp.html

> Currently the Green Party is 
> >not in Government, but we have a policy agreement with the
> Government. This helps us get some of our policies realised and the
> Government pass some of its essential laws, without our ability to
> criticise the Government being compromised. 

This is true, and important. It is called a "confidence and supply"
agreement, where the Greens don't oppose the government on issues
that would make the government fall. (e.g. budgets). I believe the
Greens have an agreement to abstain from confidence votes, but I do
not remember for sure. 

- Paul

--
Paul Nijjar  http://www.fairvotecanada.org/WaterlooRegion
FINAL Referendum Info Session: Oct 2, 7pm
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