New Zealand First Policy Announcement: Parliamentary Conscience Votes
· New Zealand First will put an end to the use of conscience votes in parliament and return democracy to the people.
· New Zealand First has always believed that important decisions that change the social fabric of our country forever should not be left up to temporarily empowered politicians to decide.
· These decisions should be made by the people of New Zealand by way of referenda.
· Any legislation being passed in parliament that would normally be considered a ‘conscience issue’ will include a referendum clause.
· All topics of referenda will be promoted to New Zealanders to ensure robust discussion, education, and understanding.
· Any referenda will be binding and voted on at the same time as general elections.