Change it!
Can't you folks VOTE for anything?
> Can’t you folks VOTE for anything?
(grin!) no, we gave up that right. Our MMP system virtually guarantees that politicians will do whatever they want — irrespective of what we want.
For example, currently, they are going to ram thru a bill to remove Section 59 from the Crimes Act 1961. This is the defense that allows parents to discipline their children physically. (Yes, just like Sweden...)
The MP putting the bill up, Sue Bradford, is a “List” MP. Nobody ever voted for her: she was appointed from the “List” by the Green Party, based upon their %age of the popular vote. She represents nobody, no electorate.
80% of all New Zealanders oppose this bill. The Government wants it to go thru, and go thru it almost assuredly will. They will cut deals with minority parties to get the numbers to make it happen.
There is no provision for binding referendums in NZ, or binding citizen’s initiatives. And no practical way to recall or fire your MP. And virtually no way for any single party to secure a clear majority: all governments are minority governments, cobbled together after the election by “cutting deals”.
No upper house, like a Senate, to keep things honest. And no constitution — just a treaty and a fair few laws.
And no way, really, of getting rid of the MMP system. It was supposed to be re-visited by NZ last election. It wasn’t, and never will be, because MMP is the best thing that ever happened to Politicians anywhere in the world. Asking them to change MMP would be like asking turkeys to vote in favor of an early Christmas.
Never happen.