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MMP Review

February 13, 2012 by · Comments Off on MMP Review 

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Prospective MPs may have to choose whether to stand in an electorate or go on their party’s list in future elections.

They can do both now, but a review of the MMP system launched by the Electoral Commission yesterday will examine whether to restrict it to one or the other. The review follows the referendum held in tandem with the general election last November when more than 57 per cent of voters opted to keep MMP.

Issues the review will look at include the 5 per cent threshold for parties to get into Parliament, whether list MPs should be able to stand in by-elections, and who should decide on the order of candidates on a party list.

Victoria University political scientist Nigel Roberts said people were unhappy about “back-door MPs” – electorate MPs voted out by their constituents but returned on their party lists. In Wales, they must stand either for the electorate or on the list, but Prof Roberts said that was the “crudest” solution.

In November, Labour MP Clayton Cosgrove lost the Waimakariri seat and National’s Chris Auchinvole lost West Coast-Tasman, but both returned to Parliament.

MPs who lost their electorate and returned on the list usually did not last longer than one term, Prof Roberts said.

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