Scoop Audio: Key Backs Down Over Auckland Boundaries, Doesn't Know How He Will Vote On MMP
By Spike Mountjoy
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Prime Minster John Key - does not know how he will vote in the upcoming MMP referendum
The entire Rodney District will become part of the Auckland Super City, the Prime Minister announced today.
However Franklin District in the south will be split in two, as recommended by the select committee.
He said Cabinet made the the decision to include Rodney because of pressure from local residents.
On other issues - when asked by Scoop, Key said he has “not even considered" whether he will vote to retain MMP in the upcoming referendum on the system.
The Prime Minster also said that, to the best of his knowledge, neither he nor his staff had talked with MMP opponent Peter Shirtcliffe since the election.
He said he thought MMP was working reasonably effectively, but left the door open to a possible change to the Supplementary Member system advocated by MMP opponents such as Shirtcliffe
"I tend to think NZ will either retain, or adopt, a proportional system of some sort."
The PM continued to stonewall Scoop's questions on SAS troop deployments by refusing to confirm weekend media reports that NZ troops were already in Afghanistan.
The Prime Minister was also fielded questions about capital gains taxes and the tax review, tobacco tax and the Maori Party, SOE dividends, changes to the remuneration authority, and his upcoming trip to New York, as well as a range of other issues.
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