Vote for Change Campaign Launched For immediate release.
The Vote for Change Society Incorporated today launches its campaign for New Zealanders to tick ‘Change’ in the
electoral referendum.
“Vote for Change asks the 40% of New Zealanders who have already realised that MMP doesn’t offer enough accountability,
to join our group” says Wellington Lawyer and Vote for Change Spokesperson, Jordan Williams. “We want Kiwis to use their
opportunity to have a better voting system. Only by voting ‘change’ in November can we ensure a proper debate on MMP’s
merits. Only a vote for change will mean there is another vote, a run-off between MMP and one of the four alternatives
at the 2014 election.”
“Vote for Change wants a system that restores more certainty, that allows voters to easily hold governments to account
and kick rascals out of Parliament,” says Mr Williams. “The current system lets party bosses sneak MPs who have been
dismissed by their local electorates back into Parliament on party lists.”
“New Zealanders are tired of Lists that make MPs beholden to political party bosses instead of being accountable to
constituents. We want politicians to have to think of the people they serve and not party list rankings when making
tough decisions” says Mr Williams.
Vote for Change is a grassroots campaign, with members and supporters from across the political spectrum. Its founding
members include Bob Harvey, a former Labour Party president and Michael Bassett, a former Labour Party cabinet minister.
A list of founding members is on the campaign’s website www.voteforchange.org.nz . New Zealanders can join the Society
and donate to the campaign from today.
“We are honoured to have New Zealanders like Mr Harvey, who campaigned for MMP in 1993 now supporting change,” says Mr
Williams. “MMP came in on a 53.9% vote. Many people had high hopes that it would create a new era of consensus politics.
Instead small groups and party bosses can now hold the rest to ransom.”
Vote for Change has not endorsed a particular alternative to MMP. “We want New Zealanders who understand that MMP has
not delivered, to go to our website, join us’
help determine what voting system is best for New Zealand,” says Mr Williams. “With a more substantial membership base
we will work out what voting system we think is the fairest”.
Q & A
What is Vote for Change?
Vote for Change is a growing group of New Zealanders from across the political spectrum who want a fairer electoral system. We want a
system that is fair to voters, not “fair” to the politicians. MMP has reduced the accountability of politicians. Under
MMP, MPs need to listen to party bosses to keep list rankings, instead of listening to their electorates. The current
system allows MPs rejected by electorates to sneak into Parliament on party lists. It hands a disproportionate amount of
power to small parties and allows politicians to use coalition agreements to renege on election promises.
We believe New Zealand can do better than MMP. We will be asking Kiwis to vote for change on November 26th to allow MMP
to be run off against the preferred alternative at the next election.
The Vote for Change campaign was established by the Vote for Change Society Incorporated. Details can be found online on the register of incorporated societies and on the website www.voteforchange.org.nz. On the website is a selection of the Kiwis that are already members of the Society and supporters of the Vote for Change campaign. We encourage all New Zealanders who want to help the campaign to join the Society.
Simon Lusk is the Campaign Manager but advice has been sought from experienced political operators from across the
political spectrum as we build our campaign team and grassroots movement.
Who’s funding Vote for Change?
Vote for Change is funded by its members and individual supporters. We are not party political and any New Zealander can join and/or
support the Incorporated Society.
What is Peter Shirtcliffe’s role?
Peter fronted the campaign for FPP in 1993. He’s now 80, retied and not willing to take a day-to-day role in the
campaign. He will be part of the Incorporated Society Committee only.
ENDS