This article is published here to keep readers informed and to stimulate the debate…
As the inhabitants of one of the world’s oldest democracies, New Zealanders are accustomed to electing their Members of Parliament every three years and we value the importance of free and fair elections. Increasingly, however, it is becoming plain that elections are not enough to ensure a peaceful and secure democracy…
From my own experience as a former Prime Minister, and from examining extensive international literature on the decline of democracies around the world, I am proposing 12 specific policies to reform Parliament and improve how government functions, and how law is made. These steps could help avert a decline in democracy in New Zealand and improve public confidence in our core democratic institutions.
12 Parliamentary reforms
- Even more MPs (yes, I know).
- More peaceful lawmaking,
more hours, less urgency, limited legislation.
- Extend the maximum term of
Parliament from three years to four.
- Reform the Select Committee
system to improve scrutiny.
- Compulsory voting in general
elections.
- Lower the voting age to 16.
- More civics education in
schools.
- Appointment of the Speaker
of the House by secret ballot.
- Reform the Official
Information Act 1982.
- Limit the amount that can be
donated to political parties by individuals.
- Require lobbyists and their
activities to be on a public register.
- Amend the Public Service Act 2020 to require public servants to provide full and frank advice on all proposals for legislation and to make that advice public after decisions have been made.
To read the full details on the MSN website click HERE.
Sir Geoffrey Palmer KC is a former Prime Minister
and a Distinguished Fellow at Victoria University of Wellington, Faculty of
Law.
25 comments:
Absolutely not.
how would lowering the voting age to 16 possibly improve public confidence in our democracy?
Yeah, that will work Palmer, just like everything else you tinkered with in the name of "democracy". You have done enough damage to New Zealand, thank you very much, so go away and quietly enjoy your retirement.
i am going to be the first to say -
- we do not need more MP's, but going forward they should be under no illusion that they will be held accountable.
I would place on record that our current MMP has become unworkable (I do recall that Sir G had a hand in this one) as to many people who are listed as MP's should not be there as they offer no tangible results, other than occupying a " seat & collecting taxpayer wages".
Over years past, I am sure I could create a list of such individuals, and we currently have " some who are agitators to a cause " than working for the Country.
- lowering voting age - NO - we have a domain of those under 18 years ( even at that age) who have no understanding of the world about them, what is required of them and most have " their heads in cell phones" (mostly female).
- the appointment of Speaker MUST remain an open vote, to make it " secret" demeans the democratic process and will make people ask why if it did occur and then feel aggrieved when not told " openly & honestly " the truth.
Sorry Sir G - Democracy should be an open domain, not a
"secretive Socialist activity".
- Sir G please explain " more peaceful lawmaking"?
- education in schools currently is not being effective, and why civics? - when it is proven we have many in schools who have a major reading issue.
- remove all and any lobbyist activity. If you want secrecy then this is one area that it works well.
- compulsory Voting, The People have the current privilege of casting a vote, as they feel, that they can effectively select the candidate of their choice.
When Political Parties " parachute a candidate into an electorate" and expect the People to vote for them, I would think in that case many will stay away from the voting booth, ditto when the selection of candidates for any party demonstrate, that they do not appear to have the ability to be an elected representative, then "if elected, later prove it", I too would refrain from voting, in the first instance or voting to re-elect a dim wit.
I am sure that many others, who read this opine, will add to or subtract and sadly my " recall of Sir G" as an PM, Deputy PM & MP is not with greatness or admiration and there are Laws on our registry that Sir G had " a hand in creating and having passed in parliament ", that can now be considered as being unworkable and past there use by date.
One being a Law that relates to the TOW.
I am one, who now believes that New Zealand requires a Constitution that will give the current Population and those who follow a Document with purpose. WE need to move a way from the Westminster style of Govt (and what I read & see of the UK currently) the quicker we do it the better.
I look forward to reading other posted comments on the subject at hand.
Mr. Palmer: I am in agreement with most of your proposals except these: I believe New Zealand (not "Aotearoa New Zealand" unless that is a name change mandated by law) has enough MP's and I am emphatically NOT in favor of lowering the voting age to 16. 16 year olds are still children who are unduly subject to peer pressure and to internet fads. They need to be taught how to think logically, to control their emotions, and to have a grounding in civics before they are allowed to vote.
I don't want any of Sir Geoffrey's proposed changes. I just want one: the ability for We the people to require Parliament to give us a referendum.
Thanks but no thanks for the messes you, Mr Palmer, created with your half-baked legislations while in power. Your messes will take generations to sort out.
So says Geoffrey Palmer, the prime instigator of our current deplorable situation. ..!! BTW, just because 16 year olds are committed to live through the situation we legislate today does not magically give them the maturity and experience to make adult decisions. Indeed, the human brain does not, in most cases, mature until the early 20s so making the voting age 21 is more appropriate. On the other hand, just make it 5 years old. The last bunch of misfits and incompetents that called itself a government were a bunch of children anyway.
"Anonymous" is saying something "on the record" Ha ha.
That man needs a hobby.
Keep him away from politics and law.
He lost me at the first word. His suggestion of lowering the voting age calls all his advice into question. Why not lower it to 14? Or 12. What a dumb idea.
I normally instantly dismiss
any article with a headline saying "Aotearoa New Zealand."
However, as this was Palmer, I gave him the benefit of doubt for a few paragraphs, then dismissed it as yet another attempt by Palmer to destroy the remnants of democracy in NZ.
No reforms of some of the diabolical current legislation, but 4 year terms, 16 year olds voting spare me !
Go away Palmer, and never interfere with NZ politics again, you have done enough damage.
Sir Winston Churchill said: 'Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few'. Having served in the Royal Air Force for over 22 years I always revered and admired Sir Winston for his service to the World. In the case of Sir Geoffrey Palmer I believe that the following wording change would be appropriate because I feel there is nothing I like about his performance: 'Never in the history of New Zealand was so much screwed up by one man for so many'. Palmer's appalling errors with respect to the Treaty of Waitangi Act 1975 are at the root of the separatist lunacy that ensued and which others are trying valiantly to correct! On just two of his points here: Lower the voting age to 16 - I joined the RAF at 16 and did not know hay from a bull's foot! ... More civics education in schools - that would simply become indoctrination NOT education.
How about...
- MP's are under oath to tell the truth, with severe penalties for failing to do so
- Governments may not introduce legislation that they have not campaigned on
- Citizens, via referendum, will decide any constitutional issues, and parliament and the courts will be obliged to honour the results
Also, the previous government was the best possible argument against 4 year parliamentary terms.
Beginning your statement with Aotearoa automatically states that your version of democracy runs parallel with the previous Marxist govt.
Once a marxist, always a marxist. The leopard does not change his spots.
Parliamentary reforms
My thoughts.
• Even more MPs (yes, I know).
No way.
• More peaceful lawmaking, more hours, less urgency, limited legislation.
How do you make it ‘more peaceful? Parliament is an adversarial institution. And ‘less legislation’? We need GOOD legislation.
• Extend the maximum term of Parliament from three years to four.
Yes.
• Reform the Select Committee system to improve scrutiny.
Not sufficiently familiar with it to comment.
• Compulsory voting in general elections.
No way.
• Lower the voting age to 16.
No.
• More civics education in schools.
What’s that got to do with “Parliamentary reforms”?
• Appointment of the Speaker of the House by secret ballot.
Absolutely not.
• Reform the Official Information Act 1982.
Maybe
• Limit the amount that can be donated to political parties by individuals.
Okay if public, but situation in the U S is a warning. Unlikely here, though.
• Require lobbyists and their activities to be on a public register.
Maybe
• Amend the Public Service Act 2020 to require public servants to provide full and frank advice on all proposals for legislation and to make that advice public after decisions have been made.
It’s the law makers that are accountable, or should be.
There are two other constitutional maters Palmer does not mention, and, admittedly, not great issues with the public.
The first is MMP, narrowly passed in 1993. It was prompted by the ability for a political party to win a parliamentary majority, but with less votes than the opposition. MMP shifted the criteria, and power, to the political party. This means that there are MPs not accountable to the people, which is undemocratic. This is abused. In my region (Hawke’s Bay) there have been six instances where a defeated candidate, usually a sitting MP, carrying on with an “electoral office” as if nothing has changed, except the notice changing from “M P for (say) Napier” to “M P, Napier” So the elected MP has to endure the person he/she defeated carrying on in competition.
The second issue that sooner or later needs to change is for our Head of State to be a Kiwi, rather than being inherited and of another country. While the three monarchs we’ve had since the ill-fated Edward VIII have filled the role admirably, times have changed. New Zealand is an independent country on the other side of the world to the U K. Let’s make our GG be the head of state, rather than just our de facto one. Just saying!
Sir Geoffrey is a complete idiot if he thinks increasing the number of MPs is going to make things better.
Dear Sir, even you know (and you do) that the name of our country is plainly NEW ZEALAND.
Nothing more, nothing less.
Please do not write an article about a changing unstable world and the need to protect our democracy whilst using a term that activists use as the divisive lever to destroy our democracy!
Thing is, Mr Palmer, we just don't iike you any more. You really stuffed up in your (thankfully) brief spell as prime minister, and now that the country is in a really bad way, racially, the last person we trust to make things better is you.
Senility catches up with near all eventually (Thatcher, Reagan, Biden, Trump). NZ politicians used to be largely in touch with the people. Palmer seems to have lived in an ivory tower for decades. Palmer does not mention elimination of race based seats. Low age and worse compulsory voting is absurd. Despite being quite widely read and life experienced I do not consider my judgement to have been reasonably informed and mature until after about age 50! Certainly not at 18 where tended to follow parents (or any other close influence). It is now irksome to realise that my considered vote based on years of observation and experience counts for no more than some low IQ youth retired on the dole and indoctrinated at the local Insurgency Coordination Centre (marae). More appropriate would be some sort of test for prospective voters.
@ anon Jan 9 at 7.39pm - ditto.
Echo chambers are no good for anyone, but that doesn’t mean we need to give oxygen to stupid.
That said, he has piqued my interest:
1. In theory, yes. But given how ideologically captured those likely to run are, including potential National MPs, I say put a pin in it for now…at least until objective truths are recognised & adhered to again.
2. Yes
3. Yes, with the same caveat of adhering to objective truths. Progressivism is the antithesis of progress.
4. Yes
5. No
6. No. Really sick of this ludicrous suggestion & the idiotic adults supporting it, especially given they are more often than not, parents. A 16 year old can get their learner’s license, not full license. They can not drink, get a bank mortgage, sign a contract without restrictions, gamble, get married, apply for citizenship etc etc. Voting is an adult privilege. It is bad enough most adults appear to suffer from cognitive dissonance, or do not engage, but to hand over our democracy to pubescent teenagers is just stupid, not to mention nonsensical - they either fall under the Children's and Young People's Well-being Act, or they do. As a parent of amazing, well-informed teenagers, I still say they must
7. Yes- the irony is, such education would mean made up words (by a coloniser no less) like Aotearoa would naturally be excluded from such conversations. Palmer is ‘ clever stupid’ (ref: Hyde)
8. Not sure
9. Yes
10. Yes
11. Yes
12. Yes
Re Robert Arthur's point about the elimination of race-based seats: This I entirely agree with, and should have mentioned it as a compelling progression to a more democratic government. Certainly, with the introduction of MMP their need, such as it was, was eliminated. I seem to recall that the commission actually recommended it.
In fact, the need diminished with universal franchise, not just constitutionally, but in spirit too - the two don't necessarily go together. (This allowed Keith Holyoake to joke about the old Māori politician who urged his followers to 'vote early, and vote often'. Everyone knew it was a joke.)
MSM always promote Palmer as the truth. Indeed one of his recent warnings about the current govt's ''threats'' to our ''constitution'' were avidly agreed to by former MSM (Stuff) colleagues on Facebook
Based on his appalling political record, just about any thing suggested by Palmer should be immediately discounted. Then again if he suggested that all MPs should be selected by a general ballot, with careful filters to ensure maturity, achievement, integrity and intelligence, bereft of ideology, then I would be an enthusiastic supporter. Oh of course, maximum term in office, 6 years.
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