8 August 2001

Party Leader Graham Capill has called for an independent inquiry, free from political interference, into the working of MMP.

Mr Capill said, “Given the conflict of interest evident in politicians reviewing the very system that resulted in each of them being elected, the public can have no confidence in the process.

“Parliament should be principled enough to recognise this and immediately appoint an independent committee of electoral law experts to ensure that reforms are in the interests of New Zealand and not just current MPs.

“In fact, all decisions relating to electoral matters should be handled by independent bodies, free from political interference or representation. This should include the Electoral Commission, which currently has representatives from the older parties on it.

“In the absence of such an approach, Christian Heritage urges that Parliament allow a free vote on the major issues of review, including the number of seats in Parliament, the threshold level and the existence of the Maori seats.

“Anything less will further undermine the integrity of the very system under review,” Mr Capill concluded.

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