Brash's referendum call rubbished as 'desperate'

National leader Don Brash has been accused of desperation and caving in to lobbyists by calling for referendums on major constitutional and moral issues.

Dr Brash said more referendums should be held and he wanted one in the next term on whether MMP should continue or be replaced.

Although National went into the 1999 and 2002 elections promising a referendum on the MMP system, the party has not previously advocated widespread use of public votes on other issues.

But writing in yesterday's Herald, Dr Brash cited "profound and often deeply controversial changes in our social order" over the last five years to justify more referendums. These include the civil union and prostitution reform legislation, replacement of the Privy Council with a domestic Supreme Court and the smoking ban in bars and restaurants.

He said the prostitution and civil unions legislation were not moves Labour or any political party campaigned on at the last election.

But Labour MP Tim Barnett, a key organiser of the push for the prostitution and civil union laws, said both were promised at previous elections and the establishment of a Supreme Court was part of Labour's 2002 manifesto.

Dr Brash's support of referendums was a "desperate" move and reflected a trend worldwide for conservative parties to turn to public votes as they saw issues slip away.

He said Dr Brash was floating a "very different kind of democracy" where decisions could end up being made by a version of "mob rule".