Tauranga's New Zealand First candidate Brendan Horan is urging residents to support MMP at this year's referendum.
Voters will decide on New Zealand's electoral system, currently mixed member proportional, at the general election on November 26.
Brendan Horan thinks changing MMP would be detrimental for New Zealand.
The Electoral Commission's information campaign about the referendum officially starts today.
Voters will be given two questions on their voting ballots, the first being ‘should MMP be maintained or changed?'
The second question asks the voter to choose from alternatives: first past the post, preferential voting, single transferable vote and supplementary vote.
Brendan says the referendum is an attempt by the government to scrap MMP so they can 'seize absolute power”.
He says the government wants a return to first past the past, which in the past has enabled the two major parties, Labour and National, to pass legislation without requiring support from other parties in parliament.
'Before voting on this referendum, I would implore everyone to remember what happened in the 80s and early 90s (when New Zealand had first past the post).
'First past the post enabled Labour and National to impose their failed economic policies on New Zealand and we're still paying for those now.”
Brendan is one of the only confirmed Tauranga candidates for this year's general election, alongside incumbent MP, Simon Bridges.
15 comments
On to it
Posted on 30-05-2011 12:13 | By Openknee8ted
The only way to stop a Labour or National party imposing absolute power is to support the second tier parties. The Maori Party has made significant gains for their supporters, which would not have happened if not for MMP. Support the second tier parties and get a real MMP Government.
Exactly BECAUSE of the Maori party...
Posted on 30-05-2011 13:26 | By SpeakUp
...is why many people will vote against MMP. I am an avid promoter of MMP but as long as national politics are perverted by separatists, activists, indigenous corporatists and racists I'd rather have the 'tyranny' of one majority party. The farce that calls itself the Maori Party has spoiled democracy in NZ in her grandeur of petty and pathetic self-importance. The ilk of Turia, Harawira and the 'academic' excuse Sharples have done severe damage to the Maori cause.
well he would, wouldn't he
Posted on 30-05-2011 15:19 | By al pillocksworth
The problem is that MMp allows minor parties like the Maori Party, Act, NZ First to gain undue influence over the government of the country. We've seen it before and we'll see it again. I'm not going to be influenced by the cult of personality on this.
He would, wouldn't he?
Posted on 30-05-2011 18:44 | By strayliner
Of course Horan supports MMP. It is the only way he and others who can't get a job with the main parties can have a chance to waste space in Parliament.
Green Party candidate HAS been announced
Posted on 30-05-2011 18:48 | By ronillian
Your article is incorrect. The Green Party has selected and announced its candidate for Tauranga Dr Ian McLean, an environmental biologist.
good to see...
Posted on 30-05-2011 21:21 | By morepork
...people saying what they think. MMP is "Politically Correct" in that it gives minorities a voice. The trouble is that the effect of that can be disproportionate to the number of people who actually support it. Democracy is designed around the majority ruling, (but they are supposed to respect the minority as well.) The idea was that the minority who lost would accept the will of the majority (no-one ever said they had to LIKE it...) and maybe try and change some minds so they had better luck at the polls next time. Unfortunately, with a generation of people who have never been told "no" or "sorry" (and are used to having their own way and their every whim indulged) that doesn't work too well, and instead they decide to hold the majority to ransom by whatever means are likely to work (legal or not, responsible or not, fair or not...) until their own demands are met. This, obviously, defeats the whole concept of a democratic process. MMP does tend to relieve it a bit because everybody gets some of what they want, but it "dilutes" the essence of Democracy which is the "will of the (majority of the) People". If there are only 2 choices ("First past the post") you have 3 options: Vote for choice A Vote for choice B Don't vote. (Spoil your paper if they decide to make voting mandatory.) This tends to focus the mind. BUT, it does require enough maturity to be able to accept that you could "lose" and live with that. (You have a few years in which to lobby the Government and other voters on the things you feel really strongly about, so you may get a different result next time.) The other options are really variations on the 2 fundamental concepts oputlined above. Personally, I'm up to here with minorities that seek to simply line their own coffers and don't really give a damn about the nation as a whole, so I'll be voting for "first past the post". (I can accept the result either way). Whatever system we choose, you can bet we will get the politicians we deserve...
EIGHTY was a nice number
Posted on 30-05-2011 22:39 | By Hebegeebies
Brendan Brendan hold up there mate MMP stands for Mixed Member Proportional or Multi Missing Persona not More MPs. Remember less is better and it would be nice to know who some MPs were rather than invisible party listers.
dont know
Posted on 31-05-2011 06:31 | By dumbkof1
Can someone please tell me how you can be voted out of parliament but still be in parliament
MMP or FPP, does it matter?
Posted on 31-05-2011 08:52 | By SpeakUp
It doesn't. Democracy in its current form is the power of appeased consumerism. Voter majority is being garnered by keeping the sheeple in a state of acquiescence and convenient ambivalence. Like in the old Rome: keep the mob happy with bread and games. ‘Growth' is provided by debt. Continuity is ensured by shortsighted socialism. Excessive bureaucracy is the self-propagating control tool. It's a fickle balancing act: distribute enough taxes to keep the punters happy and don't drain too much from the productive parts in order to keep them alive. All this is run by a few cunning circles with controlling and potent lobbies by means of stupefying mass media propaganda. They use the polemically manipulated but totally ignorant majority ‘mandate' of the voting masses for their agenda. Most pivotal parts of this machine are made out of the elite's cronies and benefactors of this awful theft and fraud. Bureaucracy, regulators and public service had a feast. Now it dawns even to beneficiaries that we live in a debt spiral, which will even enslave our children. The overseas banksters are laughing all the way. Together with our ‘elite' they have established a system that plays tennis with the appeased citizens' votes (has it ever mattered, Labour or National?), draining all chance for a desperately needed change of ways. Anyone in denial that a change of ways is desperately needed, is part of this morose parasitic machine, one way or another. MMP just has to buy more hungry mouths. We need to stop this charade and establish true leadership based on humanism, philosophy, integrity, intelligence, wisdom and dedication to our country: A meritocracy! Look it up.
14GK
Posted on 31-05-2011 11:05 | By 14GK
C'mon Brendan, at least follow the news on this subject. Neither of the major parties has expressed a wish that MMP be retained. Interestingly, those politicians that have said anything are doing so from a personal perspective so it appears there's no Party line on this one. It's up to us all to decide what we think is best and not to follow those that have their own politically vested interest in the outcome. Stick to what you know best - and it's not politics!
@SpeakUp
Posted on 31-05-2011 12:59 | By morepork
Really excellent piece of writing which dramatically conveys your viewpoint. I think there is much truth in what you wrote,although I'm probably not quite as cynical as you. As for meritocracy, I worked in the UK for many years from the mid-70s and was very glad to see the ridiculous class system slowly being eroded (at least in industry, if not in the corridors of power) by the emergence of bright people being promoted on merit rather than on the tie they wore. NZ has always been pretty good in that regard, but we are becoming a society divided on wealth and our "upper class" is becoming the extremely wealthy. I'm hopeful we'll grow out of it and as general prosperity increases, there will be some levelling of this. Don't let your cynicism blind you to the fact that there are some very bright people who are working very hard (in industry and politics and even in the Community at large) and it isn't all darkness and gloom. Nevertheless, we can probably agree that changes are definitely required. Don't underestimate the population (in ability or intelligence): "sheeple" are a minority of apathetic people who either feel excluded or just don't care. We can measure how we are doing by what proportion of the population they represent. I contend (although I can't prove it) that this sector is diminishing. I see young people who are bright and involved, with social conscience and the ability to evaluate and decide for themselves about what the media feeds them. Whether the future is bright or not, it will depend entirely on what we make it. I really enjoyed your comments.
Bad start to campaigning
Posted on 31-05-2011 13:13 | By Rich
Mr Horan's expressed views are not a help to his campaign. If he was truly concerned about the New Zealand government being seized by people not wanted by the majority of the population, then he would be promoting a change to Single Transferable (STV) rather than keeping MMP. Anytime a party list is involved, the general public are unwittingly likely to end up voting for people that they would rather not have in governance over them.
@dumkopf1
Posted on 31-05-2011 13:16 | By morepork
This is a smart question, not one from a dumkopf :-) (I haven't investigated the NZ system in detail so I hope someone can set me straight if I am wrong), but I understand it as follows: It happens because MMP allows it to, by guaranteeing a certain representation in Parliament provided the percentage of votes overall warrants it. The Party can decide WHO it puts into the seats it is allocated and for this reason, someone who was defeated in their own electorate can be re-instated by the Party. You can see why many people have had enough of MMP... Having said that, MMP is still better than Dictatorship. However, it means you give SOME power to a group, irrespective of where that power came from. (It is an acknowledgement of a level of support "across the board" rather than from one specific place.)It is supposed to ensure a voice for minorities.
@ morepork
Posted on 31-05-2011 19:25 | By SpeakUp
Hope and despair...traits that make us human. Thank you for acknowledging "...young people who are bright and involved, with social conscience and the ability to evaluate and decide for themselves about what the media feeds them..." Although I might be a cynic, I am also very much a human(istic) entity. So I can surely relate to "life will depend entirely on what we make it." Yes, 'Life's what you make it', a beautiful song by TalkTalk. Look it up;-)
Just need a job
Posted on 19-06-2011 17:56 | By [email protected]
Brendan Horan is hoping MMP stays so he has a sliver of a chance of getting a job.Candidates or MPs should not be supporting MMP or any of the alternatives because they can have a vested interest in the outcome. It is all about ME forget about the people. Horan's energies should be focussed on ensuring the voters are properly informed on the options. All about ME does however sit comfortably with Horans party.
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