Shackling MPs who want to hop

A plan to stop MPs quitting their parties is back - and this time it does not have an expiry date.

The Electoral (Integrity) Amendment Bill was introduced to Parliament yesterday and it will face the same debating process as its predecessor before it can become law.

The Electoral Integrity Act was brought in as the result of political and public disgust at the antics of MPs in the first MMP government between 1996 and 1999. The new bill is identical to the old act, but without a "sunset clause" to end its life at the next election.

That was put into the first bill because MPs were not sure whether it would be needed, or for how long.

It was used only once, when the Act party invoked it to get rid of its convicted fraudster MP Donna Awatere Huata.

The legislation is being resurrected at the insistence of New Zealand First leader Winston Peters, who made it a condition of supporting Labour after the election.

NZ First suffered the most from party-hoppers in the ill-fated National/NZ First coalition government.

When it collapsed, half the caucus quit NZ First and became members of the National-led government under Jenny Shipley.

Some MPs say Mr Peters wants it in law again to protect himself against members of his caucus who believed he should not have accepted a ministerial position in the new Labour-led Government.

Mr Peters says it will have support from the eight parties now in Parliament.

- NZPA