CHANGING DEMOCRACY

  BC and the politics of Middle Earth   

THE BIRTH OF MMP

In the midst of a hotly contested election a new electoral system was born in New Zealand.  History credits Justice Minister, Sir Geoffrey Palmer as fathering MMP, but it was New Zealand's Prime Minister, David Lange, who accidentally delivered it.

In 1987, after 3 years of controversial "free market" economic reforms the New Zealand Labour Party was up for re-election. Labour and the other major parties were officially opposed to a referendum on changing the electoral system. Unexpectedly, on national television, Prime Minister Lange astounded his advisors and colleagues by promising to hold a binding referendum on the electoral system using the Royal Commission's recommendations. Later Lange admitted he miss-read his briefing notes.  Sir Geoffrey Palmer says the Royal Commission recommendations for reform were not embraced.    

Lang's accidental promise was a huge boost to reformers.
It took almost a decade and two referenda before the first MMP election, but the system completely changed the way business is conducted in Parliament. David McGee is Clerk of the House of Representatives.

MMP has not only change the business of government, but also party politics.  In November 2003, the New Zealand Labour Party held its annual convention in Christchurch.  It looked much like any large political convention in British Columbia, except that few party delegates talk about having the only good political ideas.  At the convention Prime Minister Clark trumpeted Labour's success at building coalitions.