Government is being very selective and underhand in the forthcoming referenda. They are supposedly giving the public choices but those choices are really ‘clayton's' choice. They are asking you to have your say on the manner of electing Parliamentarians but the silent message is that ‘we the wiser elected ones' have decided that the general public is not knowledgeable enough to have their say on the two very real issues that are a constant foment in the public arena.
I speak of the number of parliamentarians (120) and the efficacy of retaining dedicated Maori seats. I believe that New Zealanders have clearly identified that they only need and want 99/100 parliamentarians. A Commission set up to investigate and make recommendations on the parliamentary system, recommended that there was no further democratic need for dedicated maori seats.
Governments of the day employ non partisan teams of people to investigate the issues then ignore the well researched answers because it doesn't fit returning the incumbent party to power.

Maureen J Anderson, Pyes Pa.