MANA Leader Hone Harawira

Tuesday 14th August

Electoral Commission Report on MMP

"Just who is the Electoral Commission protecting?" asks MANA Leader Hone Harawira in response to the Electoral Commission's report on MMP.

"Apparently voters need to be protected from themselves in case they support new political ideas or movements which might cause the big parties trouble" he said in response to the Commission's proposal to only lower the party vote threshold to 4% and remove the one seat exemption - meaning a party would need around 90,000 party votes to enter Parliament.

"Both Labour and National have long preached free-market competition, but it seems it’s a different story when their own jobs are on the line. All of a sudden 'stability' has become more important than democracy, even if it means wasting many thousands of votes".

Harawira said that the Commission’s ruling meant that 8,000 voters from one electorate could elect an MP but that 80,000 people voting for one party from all round the country would be denied any representation.

“MANA isn’t just a political party that pops up every three years to stand for elections” said Harawira. “MANA is active all year round right across the country – helping people fight for their homes in Glen Innes, helping clothe people in Whanganui, opposing illegal pokie operations in Otara, supporting the fight against asset sales right across the country, promoting the ‘feed the kids’ campaign wherever we can, and helping with many community initiatives as well”.

Harawira said that MANA supporters should not be denied representation just because the big parties wanted less competition.

“Our people deserve the right to have their voices heard and their voted counted”

“The voter turnout in 2011 was the lowest since 1887” said Harawira. “We should be giving people more reason to believe that their vote will count, not less”.

ENDS

© Scoop Media