I have yet to see or hear anyone pointing out that there are about twice as many people in each electorate than there was under First Past the Post and nearly half as many more than when MMP was introduced.
Those deciding on how MMP would work made several errors. one was keeping the Maori seats against the recommendation to discard them because MMP would ensure they were no longer needed.
Another was setting the number of electorates in the South Island at 16 and determining how many people were in each electorate by dividing the South’s population by that number.
There were 99 electorates in the last FPP election, in 1993, with around 35,000 people in each.
In the first MMP election there were 65 electorates with about 56,000 people in each.
We have 72 general electorates now, that will go down to 71 next year because for the first time in decades the South Island population has grown faster than the North’s.
The Electoral Commission says:
There were 99 electorates in the last FPP election, in 1993, with around 35,000 people in each.
In the first MMP election there were 65 electorates with about 56,000 people in each.
We have 72 general electorates now, that will go down to 71 next year because for the first time in decades the South Island population has grown faster than the North’s.
The Electoral Commission says:
For the 2026 election, the number of:
- general electorates in the South Island is fixed at 16
- general electorates in the North Island reduces from 49 to 48
- Māori electorates remains unchanged at seven.
The population quotas in those electorates are:
- 70,037 people for South Island general electorates
- 69,875 people for North Island general electorates
- 74,367 people for the Māori electorates.
Expecting MPs to service that many people is bad enough in cities, it’s worse in provincial and rural electorates which cover such large geographical areas with dozens of towns with very different concerns and little if anything in common.
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The three largest general electorates are Southland, West Coast-Tasman and Waitaki.
Such large areas makes it difficult for their MPs to service them and makes it hard for constituents to get to their MP in a reasonable time and without having to travel too far.
It is worse still for Te Tai Tonga, the largest Maori electorate which covers all of the South, Stewart and Chatham Islands and part of the lower North Island.
There will also be 49 list MPs and while they can make parliament more representative, they don’t compensate for the poorer representation constituents get with so many more people in each electorate.
Very few list MPs live outside cities and if their media profiles are anything to go by they are more concerned with promoting their parties than dealing with constituents’ concerns.
One criticism many make of MMP is that it’s given us too many MPs. Had FPP continued with 35,000 people in each seat we’d now have more MPs than we do now, and the number would have kept increasing.
There are too many people in each electorate and the provincial and rural seats cover far too much area.
We need more general electorates and since MMP has done what was forecast, in doing away with the need for separate Maori seats, they should go.
Ele Ludemann is a North Otago farmer and journalist, who blogs HERE - where this article was sourced.
5 comments:
List MPs are often people no-one would vote for in a local electorate. The number of list MPs needs to drop electorate sizes capped at 36k.
I am pretty much totally in favour of what you suggest Ele. Particularly with respect to the Maori Seats (The number of 'Maori" MPs currently in parliament is disproportionate to the alleged population. And particularly with respect to the physical size of some of the electorates. West Coast Tasman from north to south is practically Northland to Wellington in length with there being very little in common between those who live in Golden Bay or Stoke compared with those in South Westland. Further, but slightly "of piste", the West Coast has three District Councils and one Regional Council for a population in the low 30,000s spread over an equivalent distance almost equal to Wellington to Auckland. Bloody ridiculous when you consider, most of the area is controlled by DOC who don't pay rates..!!
Maybe, just maybe - we could drop MMP altogether increase number of electorates as/where required and " tell any one, wishing to become an MP of a duly Registered Political Party (and the Parties themselves) - that to become a Govt of the day, you need to
[1] - attain as many electorates as possible,
[2] - that is attain 65 + seats,
[3]- prior to an election, you feel that this is not going to work, then " you declare which other Party you will seek an alliance with leading into the election ", not after.
This would preclude the 30 day to 3 month period post election for a party to make up their collective minds - which way to swing- so the voting public can then ' make their choice ', on the DAY, not find after the voting is closed, that an alliance is being sourced, by the majority party and another - which Joe Public then find, that voting has (for their choice[s]) - once again become a waste of time.
Thus removing the MMP List MP's, who are hoping to join ' the ranks ' just to do nothing spectacular for the Parliamentary Term.
One Vote, one tick, not a collation of 1 thru to 5 as we have with some voting requirements.
I believe on 2 occasions, New Zealander's have ' rejected ' MMP. only to have the Govt, of the day, ignore the wish of The People.
In reading this, I think my cup of coffee has had an effect - " of creating a day dream" !
Current list MPs - an all time low in quality.
In answer to Anonymous at 4:22: Quote: "... Current list MPs - an all time low in quality. ...". I too, am not in favour of 'list' MPs but - not in all cases. ACT has some genuinely, high quality, active and capable list MP.
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