NZ Centre for Political Research

This week's poll asks:

Do you agree that changes to the voting system should only be decided by a nation-wide referendum of all voters?

*Yes. We cannot expect politicians to give what is really need. They will only look after themselves. Frank

*Only ELECTED MP's in Parliament. NO LIST MP's!!! Fay

*Add that ALL parliamentry representatives should be elected, not appointed by political parties. Martin

*Totally agree the current govt is becoming more fascist by the day and does not have the interests of New Zealand public at heart at all. A shame so many kiwis are apathetic to what is going on and believe the lies they are told thinking a person in a position of power must be smarter. it doesnt take much observation to see this isnot so. whoever holds a ministerial portfolio should have experience in that field how much money is wasted on consultants who dont seem to know what they are talking about judging by the advice they give; and who are these faceless consultants that fill their pockets with taxpayer dollars? Krissa

*Leaving changes in our voting system to self serving polititions would be a mistake. New Zealand's politicians need to be made aware that it is not acceptable for them to have control of decisions on this matter. The make up of our political system, and the options we have available need to be decided by the people of New Zealand. Neil

*Absolutely yes. This is exactly why we should have dumped MMP when we had the opportunity and pushed for PREFERENTIAL or STP which could have pulled the lefts to the left and the rights to the right instead of the hodge-podge middling autocratic government we currently have. Bruce

*Why would cynically-manipulative politicos allow the voting public have a referendum on something as important as the voting system?They have avoided it thus far, why would it change now? Monica

*Let's work towards making this so-called democracy a democracy in fact. Rob

*This is a democratic country isn't it? Audrey

This week's poll asks:

Do you agree that changes to the voting system should only be decided by a nation-wide referendum of all voters?

*I don't want the whole of this system. I think the fairest voting system is STV. I call MMP "Mickey Mouse Parliament". Elsie

*The government serves the people not the other way around. Sylvienne

*MPs do not form a large enough representative sample of citizens. Heather

*Absolutely and emphatically YES. Please save us from politicians of any colour! Hugh

*We desperately need the Swiss System in this country and there is already a movement underway to achieve this. Check out Amy Brooke's website of the 100 Days - Claiming Back New Zealand - at www.100days.co.nz where it is all explained in detail. This current Government needs to be reined in as they don't listen and have their own agenda. The power must be given back to the people. Helen

*This organisation does have a bias. Therefore it needs to be done by a committe that is appointed and confirmed by peoples vote. This cannot be done by the polies as there would be a bias. The committee must be charged with the responsibilites of just and fairness. Rawiri

*Simple Democracy! Politicians will always make changes in their own interests. Karen

*I am not impressed with how we were manipulated into choosing MMP or 4 others It was loaded towards MMP with simple errors in other choices becoming invalid. Referendums are totally ignored for the same reason. One can no longer trust our MP's to listen to the Voters. MARYLIN

*I am fed up with politicians going back on their word, some of them are certainly not trustworthy. Kelvin

*Incl size of parliament & maori seats. John

*I also consider that retention or abolition of the Maori Seats should be voted on. Jeremy

*Government by the people for the people. Is this not what demoracy is all about? Desmond

*Get rid of MMP & Half the policticans they are ruining this country,they do not listen to the majority they only listen to the small groups. Geoff

*Absolutely, but who's going to police it? The Polies will do what is in their interest - this is what a dictatorship is, isn't it? Graeme

This week's poll asks:

Do you agree that changes to the voting system should only be decided by a nation-wide referendum of all voters?

*It is WE the electorate who are supposed to choose the details of our electoral system - NOT that of the self-serving charlatans who seek to dominate. Auntie Podes

*Any change must be the peoples's choice & not politicians. Brian

*List MP's to be elected by the people, not conveniently selected by the parties. Let's have true democracy across the board. John

*It is time to get real. Wake up voters dont complain, have your say. Roger

*While doubtless there are a few politicians with integrity (at least when they're not in Wellington) they simply shouldn't be trusted with anything too serious, certainly not when our voting system is being tinkered with. Frank

*Stands to democratic reason that the country as a whole should have the opportunity to decide on the details of its voting system. Phil

*Politicians should be voted in BY THE PEOPLE to run the country FOR THE GOOD OF ALL THE PEOPLE without hidden agendas! Larry

*However the vested interests will ensure that the voters wishes are only adopted if they are aligned to the vested interests desires/aspirations. John

*For Gods sake ... its called democracy! Does anyone still remember the concept!? Andy

*Only a people thick enough to vote back a government that made our seabed available for claim only by Maori would be thick, thick, thick enough to vote for a voting system that was bound for unknown change. By voting MMP they had no idea what they were voting for. How intelligent is that, ha ha ha. George

*I hope any referendum has proper questions, not ambiguous or slanted ones. What does it taketo get our politicians to take note and actually carry out the wishes of the people? Sheila

*Most definitely, otherwise is would be patently undemocratic. Paul

*The moron population had the chance to get rid of MMP on election day but they were too lazy and useless to get out of bed to vote. I say they deserve the useless, wasteful, racist Government they now have, not that the opposition would do any better. Too late to worry about it now. Chris

*No way can we trust the pollies to do an honest job. Ronmac

*As should many other controversial laws. Roderick

*We are led to believe that New Zealand is a demographic Country whereas in fact the Government dictates to us what they believe is right or not. So we have a virtual dictatorship situation and I think it is just disgraceful. Peter

*The existance of racial votes is distasteful in a democratic society. It is separatist and damages unity. Also, I do not support a system that has a significant proportion of MPs (list) that have never been voted in by the electorate. Richard

*I am totally against politicians interfering in the democratic rights of all citizens. Les

*Politicians preferences for the voting system are not impartial and are designed for the benefit of themselves and their parties. A nationwide referendum could hopefully provide us with a parliament with a much lower number of members no racially selected seats and no list members. Peter

*If we are to have list MP's then it must be a oncer, and no be allowed to to hold a senior postion such as Finlayson. A non New Zealander by his demeanour. Bill

*Our politicians have shown that they cannot be trusted to act in the interest of the voters - only their self interest matters to them!! Peter

This week's poll asks:

Do you agree that changes to the voting system should only be decided by a nation-wide referendum of all voters?

*Get rid of all the list MP Elected members only. Clive

*Yes - but who is going to get the politicians to agree to it? John

*While I agree with this proposition to me the devil is in the detail. Is it going to be a case of answering Yes or No to the following six questions?
Will the media give fair space and coverage to both sides of the questions or will it be a case of editors favouring their politician mates?
Will the government accept and act on the results of the referendum or will it ignore them? Are we going to have a chance to vote on the continuing existence of race based seats or is that going to be off limits?
Do you actually trust the politicians to reflect and act on the will of the people?

I suggest a further reform of our voting system which would give effective power to the citizens whether the government was elected by MMP, FPP or another system.This is Swiss Style Direct Democracy where citizens have the power to veto unwanted and unmandated legislation and to initiate legislation which they want passed.
Right now the scenario is that we make reasonable submissions and hope our politicians will do the decent thing. Some hope!

Finally a big hooray to the Queensland voters who have just thrown out an unresponsive Labour State Government. Labour's biggest ever loss. Pity we can't do the same with our bunch but if we had Direct Democracy we could at least keep them in line! Denis

*If voters are not allowed to decide the changes to our voting system, then we basically end up with a Mugabe Democracy. Vic

This week's poll asks:

Do you agree that changes to the voting system should only be decided by a nation-wide referendum of all voters?

*This is a key piece of legislation and the citizens should have a say in it, especially as the parliamentarians have a vested interest in the outcome. Anthony

*I think we have had a good enough taste of what it is like to be dictated to and pushed against a wall by those who are only in Parliment to self interests. It is time Kiwi's! Lets get our power back! Trina

*Democracy at work. Paul

*The maori seats MUST be abolished. John

*Politicians have proved repeatedly that they don't do what the majority want but serve their own vested interests. They can't be trusted to choose the voting system. Tony

*Yes, voters should decide, not parliamentarians on their own. That is what democracy is. Peter

*Imagine if MPs were asked how much money they would like as a salary? Would they honestly say $60K, No, they would be swayed by self-gain, the same way they will on the MMP Review. Carl

*- - - and we should stop perpetuating 'apartheid'. Michael

*Without this referendum New Zealand cannot be called a country with a democracy. Don

*Democracy / power to the people. Dick

*Drr ... Of course yes! Any COMMON charity or not for profit constitution requires an AGM or SGM for members in general to consider a constitutional change ... why not in the voting system?? I would have thought this was a human right! David

*Politicians will ignore the public opinion. I have watched the system ignore the wishes of the electors for so long, as to think otherwise. Malcolm

*The present review is a total farce. When have the polititions ever listened to us? Keith

*Our voting system must be democratically decided by the population, not by MPs. Jill

This week's poll asks:

Do you agree that changes to the voting system should only be decided by a nation-wide referendum of all voters?

*Absolutely! Referenda returns democracy to voters. Dan

*Any other way is not democratic! MPs have a conflict of interest should this be put to a vote by them as they would then decide changes that affect themselves and their colleagues! Martin

*Yes, yes, yes. It is outrageous that politicians should try to be the ones to decide on our voting system. We must make it impossible for them to do it any other way but by referendum. Sally

*Isn't democracy always dependent on the informed decision of the eligible majority? Jim

*Referendum is the best way to get a true idea of how majority of people think. Robert

*MPs should not decide how the voting system works. It is a system for voters not MPs. The voters should make the final decision. Ken

*What a sham review this has turned out to be. It's outrageous that they are getting away with it. When will the public wake up to how they are being manipulated. Anne

*We absolutely need a Citizens' Right of Veto. We should all be singing from the same songsheet on this. Maybe Winston Peters could adopt the idea and promote it in Parliament. It needs an MP to champion it. Stuart