Graeme Reeves: Independent Electoral Review – final report released on 16 January 2024

The Independent electoral Review Panel (“the Panel”) identified and set for itself the following objectives, “how to improve the fairness, accountability, clarity, representativeness and effectiveness of our electoral system and how it can uphold the treaty of Waitangi.

The Panel made 140 recommendation for change to satisfy its objectives.

I wish in this article to refer to only one of them and that is the recommendation that the Maori seats should be entrenched. The Panel did not consider the bigger issue of the Maori seats because it was not include in the terms of reference.

Point of Order: Buzz from the Beehive - 16/1/24

Ghahraman resigns as an MP while a report on our electoral system favours making it harder to abolish Māori electorates

The media are bound to be abuzz with news that emerged not from the Beehive, but from the Green Party.

One press release was headed Statement from Golriz Ghahraman, in which she mentions her mental health problems, then declares:

Bryce Edwards: A Disappointing pick-and-mix approach to electoral reform

Democracy in New Zealand could and should be improved in so many ways. So it’s a pity that the Government has yet again produced a review of elections that has delivered a disparate and incomplete package of recommendations. Few of the recommendations will ever see the light of day and, if they do, those chosen will favour the vested interests of whoever is in government at the time.

The interim report of the Labour Government’s He Arotake Pōtitanga Motuhake – Independent Electoral Review has just been published, and as an overall package it’s unconvincing. There are plenty of individual proposals that on their own might improve politics, but the whole project is unlikely to lead to the sort of sweeping reform that the panel are suggesting.