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Ian Basire
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Submitted on 22/02/2012 - 12:41pm relating to the issues Basis for eligibility for list seats (thresholds), By-election candidates, Dual Candidacy, Order of candidates on the list, Overhang, Proportion of electorate seats to list seats
Should the 5% threshold be kept or changed? Why? If you recommend change, what should it be and why?:
The threshold should be reduced to 4%. At present a party just passing the threshold gain too many seats - better to have a lower threshold gaining fewer seats and allowing smaller parties to develop.
Should the one electorate seat threshold be kept or changed? Why? If you recommend change, what should it be and why?:
Increase the one electorate seat threshold to about 3 or 4. At present one electorate seat brings in too many other MPs.
Should list MPs continue to be able to stand as candidates in by-elections? If so, why?:
Yes. They should be as eligable to contest an electorate seat as any other citizen.
Should dual candidacy be kept? If so, why?:
Yes
If you recommend change, what should it be and why?:
As has happened recently in the Otaki electorate where there have been two very able and well respected candidates - only one could gain the electorate seat with the other still becoming on MP on the list and making a valuable contribution to the House.
In an election, should voters be able to alter the order of candidates from the list order decided by political parties?:
Political parties should continue to order their list cantidates. A mechanism for the public to have their say would be combersome and opens to possibility of being hyjacked by extreme pressure groups.
What should happen when a party wins more electorate seats than it would be entitled to under its share of the party vote?:
No overhang - reduce the number of list seats to keep the total membership at 120 and allocate the percentages on the reduced number of list seata available.
Is this a problem, and what should be done to fix it?:
Not a problem except in relation to an 'overhang'. No need to adjust with increased population.