Prebble slams MMP over election result

Richard Prebble

Former Act Party leader Richard Prebble says MMP robbed voters of a right-wing Government on Saturday night and should be dumped.

In a speech to the Institute of Directors at the Northern Club yesterday, Mr Prebble lashed out at the electoral system and also criticised National for its campaign.
The retired MP said MMP was meant to deliver a result that represented the voters' wishes. But right-leaning parties had gained more of the total vote than the left, and Labour was in a position to form a Government.

The overhang caused by the Maori Party winning a small proportion of the party vote, while getting four electorate seats, meant Parliament was larger, and that had also disadvantaged National.

"With the overhang National is one seat short. MMP has robbed New Zealand of the change of Government the country voted for," Mr Prebble said.

He was "shocked" Dr Brash may negotiate with the Maori Party, which Mr Prebble said was based on a racist idea that the law should not be equal.

National was attacked for running a first-past-the-post election campaign.

"National fought a bitter campaign to defeat [New Zealand First leader Winston] Peters in Tauranga ... National sought to collapse the Act vote by shamelessly taking Act policies and even slogans.

"Then National refused any accommodation. If the voters of Epsom had not worked out MMP the centre-right would be two seats short."

Act leader Rodney Hide won Epsom saying Act would assist National.

Mr Prebble said National had also sought to get the Christian vote off United Future.

"Gathering up the centre-right's vote in one party makes no sense. Getting voters to cross over the left-right divide wins elections."

Mr Prebble said the centre-right was doomed when Mr Peters and United Future leader Peter Dunne said they would negotiate first with the party with the most seats.

"Neither Peter Dunne nor Winston Peters have any democratic mandate to be supporting a centre-left Government."

MMP was undemocratic and let MPs return on party lists even though voters had rejected them.

"If I was looking for a new political cause it would be a citizens' referendum to dump MMP," he said.

"But I have done my service."

He was looking forward to participating on boards and helping businesses make money again.

- NZPA