-
Jonathan Boston, political scientist - Source: ONE News -
Watch Video
-
Related
A leading political scientist is unconvinced that there's a need
to change New Zealand's electoral system.
That's in light of the government move to hold a referendum on the
future of MMP.
The referendum, to be held at the 2011 general election, will ask voters if they wish to change the system from MMP and what alternative they want from a list of options.
If a majority of voters opt to ditch MMP, there will be a second referendum at the 2014 general election to decide the alternative voting system, and this would come into effect at the 2017 election.
Victoria University political lecturer Professor Jonathan Boston
says the government is keeping its promise to hold a referendum but
it's not clear to him that there's something
fundamentally wrong with the current system.
Boston says the polls indicate that MMP is generally well supported by the public and that the criteria for electoral systems are being met.
"The criteria that the Royal Commission set for electoral systems - things like effective government, effective parliament, effective parties - they're being met. We have a more representative parliament and we have a fairer system than we had before.
"So in my view the system is not fundamentally flawed."
Boston says he thinks the more important question is how we might improve some features of MMP that have caused concern.
And a constitutional lawyer says people need to understand the alternatives to MMP before they decide whether to dump it.
Public law specialist Mai Chen says those alternatives have not been announced but they will be very important.
She says it could be that people want an improved version of MMP.
But Chen says she believes MMP is working well and doubts whether the public will find enough wrong with it to want to change it.
Politicians "dragging their feet"
However, the man who led a campaign against MMP 15 years ago says politicians are dragging their feet on changing the system.
Peter Shirtcliffe says there doesn't need to be two referendums.
He says this needs to be done promptly with one referendum, letting the people choose the option they think best.
Shirtcliffe says he believes the politicians are dragging their feet to drag the process out and end up with sticking with the status quo.
