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Second past the post preferred

Second past the post preferred

Another election and another clamour to scrap preferential voting. New Zealanders are wondering why Wellington, for example, would choose a system that makes ’em wait days to hear who they’ve elected mayor. And sifting through interminable lists of district health...
Prendergast loss somehow pinned on preferential

Prendergast loss somehow pinned on preferential

As mayoral majorities go, it’s one of the slimmest. Because the democratic world is so inured to the deficiencies of first-past-the-post, it mostly goes unnoticed that mayors are typically elected by a minority vote, often a tiny minority. Whereas Celia Wade-Brown won...
Ultimately successful Māori roll model

Ultimately successful Māori roll model

Humans are hard-wired for fairness. Which is why so many traditional supporters of the Australian Labor Party abandoned it following the treachery visited on its fleetingly victorious leader Kevin Rudd. The political system of Aotearoa, until joined recently by...
Tuned-up mmp could be ninety-nine not out

Tuned-up mmp could be ninety-nine not out

First, it was a fateful decision. Then it became a cynical decision, when New Zealand’s parliament ignored the 81.5% of voters who asked for the house to be reduced to 99 seats—the cosy two-party duopoly had no desire to see mixed-member proportional… endure. In...
Out of all proportional Aussies eat their Greens

Out of all proportional Aussies eat their Greens

Updated 9 September 2010 Grand coalition is the only honourable option. In yesterday’s election, neither major party obtained a mandate to lead Australia. The undisputed winner, out of the shameful defrauding of Kevin Rudd and the Australian people, is the Green...
Voting for and against, and with first past the post

Voting for and against, and with first past the post

It is a continual improvement advocate’s worst nightmare. It would be like lining up the 15-year-old family hack at Bathurst, without even checking the dipstick. Mixed member proportional is about to be compared with a yet-to-be-determined range of other systems, with...