Kick The Tyres By Voting To Keep MMP
John Key said we needed 'to kick the tyres of MMP' when he announced the referendum we are having on Saturday. 'But the
only chance we will have to kick the tyres of MMP, look under the bonnet and take her in for a tune is if we vote to
keep MMP,' says long-time electoral researcher, Dr Philip Temple. 'If we do that then we will get expert mechanics on
the job in a review by the Electoral Commission next year. That's the best chance for a new warrant of fitness and many
more years of reliability.'
'If you've got a flat tyre, need the brakes relined or a new set of plugs, you don't dump a top marque car with all the
bells and whistles, road-tested in Germany and Scotland, and buy a cheap Japanese import,' Dr Temple says. 'The anti-MMP
lobbyists would have us do exactly that, importing the half democratic Japanese voting system to replace MMP. They use
that system in Kazahkstan and Lithuania as well.'
'What we need is a full tune-up and warrant from the accredited MMP franchise holder, not a second-hand car from a
dealer who, according to the Electoral Commission, can't even get the numbers right.'
Dr Philip Temple has been researching and writing about electoral reform issues, both here and overseas, for more than
20 years. He has been given a Wallace Award by the Electoral Commission for his 'significant contribution to public
understanding of electoral matters'.