Have your opinion heard on new MMP system

The people have spoken once.

Now they get the chance to speak again, this time in the hope of being a bit more specific about what most of them wanted in the first place.

In a referendum on our voting system, held alongside last year's general election, a majority of voters chose to retain the Mixed Member Proportional system used to elect our governments since 1996. However, it was far from convincing - just under 58 per cent favoured MMP, with the remaining 42 per cent wanting a change.

Tellingly though, of the four voting systems presented as alternatives to MMP, easily the most favoured option was First Past the Post, used to elect our governments up until 1996.

Coupled with a relatively low turnout, it leads to a suspicion that many voters weren't that engaged or informed when it came to the referendum. It's hardly surprising, really.

The referendum was always going to be something of the forgotten child of the election. Given the short turnaround following the Rugby World Cup, debate over the merits of MMP and alternative voting systems quickly faded into the background against ongoing chatter around the partial sale of state-owned assets, coalition options and oddly enough, cups of tea. Having decided to stick with MMP, the real work starts.

An Electoral Commission review of MMP was launched yesterday, with chief electoral officer Robert Peden releasing the review's consultation paper. Up for discussion are many of the more controversial aspects of MMP, such dual candidacy, thresholds and party lists.

So while MMP is back, it's clear there's a good number of New Zealanders who aren't comfortable with the system as it is structured. Hopefully, now that MMP will get its day in the sun, more people will take the time to think about the way we vote our politicians into power.

It's all too easy to just complain about the decisions made by this country's powerbrokers. But if all those people who wrote letters to the paper, posted on online blogs or rang their local MP to have a grumble took the time to have a real think about how MMP could be improved, and followed that up by making a submission to the review, surely it would make a positive difference to our democratic process?

Every three years, we get the chance to help steer the country's direction. This review has much wider implications and it can only be hoped people take the chance to have their say.

To find out how to make a submission, go to www.mmpreview.org.nz.

Feedback: editor@wanganuichronicle.co.nz.