A statement from the Put MMP to the Vote campaign

Poll calls for smaller Parliament and a vote on MMP’s future

Three-quarters of adult New Zealanders favour reducing the size of Parliament from around 120 MPs to 100 while nearly two-thirds want a referendum on the voting system.

These figures are revealed in an independent nationwide poll of 750 New Zealanders aged 18 and over released today. It was conducted by UMR Research from 2–6 July 2009 and has a margin of error is 3.6 per cent.

The poll was commissioned by Put MMP to the Vote, a campaign for an informed referendum on the electoral system led by Graeme Hunt and Peter Shirtcliffe.

It shows that after five elections under the MMP system, electors remain sharply divided over whether they support MMP or its predecessor, first past the post (FPP).

Just 41 per cent support MMP compared with 40 per cent for FPP, although first past the post was last used in a New Zealand general election in 1993. And fewer than one in three electors (32 per cent) say MMP has had a positive impact on the quality of government.

City dwellers tend to be the strongest supporters of MMP while provincial and rural New Zealanders tend to be its strongest critics. Only in Wellington does MMP command strong support (58 per cent).

Put MMP to the Vote spokesman Graeme Hunt said the poll reflected the public’s long-held wish to have a say on the future of MMP.

“The poll suggests that the public would be willing to sacrifice full proportionality for minor parties in return for a smaller, more accountable Parliament,” he said.

“We should not forget that in 1999 people voted overwhelmingly in a non-binding citizens-initiated referendum for a 99-member Parliament. No government has ever acted upon this.”

Hunt said the aim of the Put MMP to the Vote campaign was to keep politicians honest.

“Prime Minister John Key has promised a binding referendum on the voting system at the time of the 2011 general election. We welcome this but we want to ensure that it follows an informed campaign and that New Zealanders are able to look at a range of electoral options if they reject MMP.”

Poll Results

ENDS

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