MEDIA RELEASE
Monday 12 December 2011
Electoral Commission
Te Kaitiaki Take Kōwhiri

Process And Timetable for MMP Review Announced

With a majority of voters opting to keep MMP in last month’s Referendum on the Voting System, the Electoral Commission is now preparing to carry out the review of MMP provided for in the Electoral Referendum Act 2010.

“The result of the Referendum on our Voting System means the Electoral Commission must now carry out a review of MMP to recommend any improvements that might be made,” says Chief Electoral Officer, Robert Peden. “We are very keen to hear the views of the public and will be seeking to make it as easy as possible for individuals and groups to have their say in the review”.

The review will have two stages. The Commission will call for submissions in mid-February and hold public hearings in April and May. The Commission will then release a proposals paper in August for public comment before presenting its final report to the Minister of Justice in October.

The review, as provided for in the Electoral Referendum Act 2010, will include:

• What thresholds parties should have to cross to qualify for an allocation of list seats in Parliament,
• Whether list MPs should be able to stand as candidates in a by-election,
• Whether a person should be able to stand as a candidate both for an electorate seat and on a party list,
• Whether voters or political parties should decide the order of candidates on a party list,
• What should happen when a party wins more electorate seats than it would be entitled to under its share of the party vote,
• The effects of population growth on the ratio of electorate seats to list seats, and
• Other matters referred to the Commission by the Minister of Justice, Parliament, or raised by members of the public.

Parliament has excluded Māori representation and the number of Members of Parliament from the review.

The Commission will publish a consultation paper in mid-February, and the public will be able to make submissions by post, email or online, as well as at public hearings. More information on the review and how to take part will be made available in early February.

ENDS

Timeline for review

Date Activity
13 February 2012 Consultation Paper released and call for submissions
April – May 2012 Presentation of submissions (public hearings) take place
31 May 2012 Submissions on Consultation Paper close
June – July 2012 Consideration and development of possible proposals for changes to MMP voting system
August 2012 Proposal Paper released and call for submissions
31 October 2012 Final report presented to Minister

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