News | Campaign for MMP

MMP Referendum now a two horse race

23 November 2011

Posted as

MMP press release

The voting systems referendum is now a two horse race between MMP and First Past the Post, a new analysis of opinion surveys show, and people should vote to keep MMP unless they want to return to FPP, Keep MMP says.

Keep MMP has analysed all published opinion polls in 2011 that asked voters’ preference of the alternatives to MMP on Saturday’s ballot paper.

In all cases, for voters who expressed a preference First Past the Post is the clear leader, meaning if New Zealanders trigger a second referendum in 2014 by voting for change, it will be between MMP and FPP.

Prime Minister will continue to make MMP work

22 November 2011

Posted as

MMP press release

The Prime Minister has made MMP work, and the public should have absolute confidence in his ability to continue doing so after the election if National forms a government.

John Key said today on the Mike Hosking Breakfast show that he believed MMP would win the referendum on Saturday.

Keep MMP spokesperson Lewis Holden agreed, and said that while there had been a focus over the weekend on the smaller parties’ role in coalitions, New Zealand remained a country that elected major parties to lead governments and achieve the bulk of their programmes.

Anti MMP lobby challenged tonight

20 November 2011

Posted as

MMP press release

Keep MMP will tonight challenge the anti MMP lobby to explain how a vote for change will lead to anything other than another referendum between MMP and First Past the Post – a system New Zealanders have already rejected.

Keep MMP spokesperson Sandra Grey will lay down the challenge at tonight’s Sky News referendum debate.

Support firming for keeping and improving MMP

18 November 2011

Posted as

MMP press release

Keep MMP has welcomed a firming in support for retaining our MMP voting system.

The three most recent opinion polls have had support for keeping MMP at over 50%.

Today’s Herald Digipoll has support for keeping MMP up three points to 50.6%, and those wanting change down, on 39.3%. It follows Sunday’s TVNZ poll with support for MMP at 51% and last Friday’s 3News poll with MMP support at 54.5%.

Voters won’t be fooled by anti MMP lobby’s attempts to mislead

16 November 2011

Posted as

MMP press release

The anti MMP lobby’s attempts to pull the wool over voters’ eyes over the number of MPs has not stopped a recent firming in support for MMP, Keep MMP spokesperson Sandra Grey said.

Dr Grey is delivering a speech in Palmerston North tonight, on ‘cutting through the myths around voting systems.’

Sandra Grey said that chief among her concerns were deliberately misleading statements that the number of MPs was related to any particular electoral system.

Supplementary Member’s backers need to come clean on their con job

14 November 2011

Posted as

MMP press release

Advocacy of the Supplementary Member voting system is the biggest con job of this referendum, and anyone promoting it needs to be exposed for this, Keep MMP said today.

TVNZ’s poll last night had SM as the least favoured voting system among alternatives to MMP, the same result in Friday’s Fairfax poll and a Herald on Sunday poll a fortnight ago. It came last in the 1992 referendum also.

Electorate threshold rule up for review

13 November 2011

Posted as

MMP press release

New Zealanders have made it clear they want the chance to keep and improve their MMP system, including taking a close look at the single electorate threshold or ‘life boat rule’, Keep MMP said today.

Changes can be made to MMP if a majority of voters opt to keep MMP on November 26 and trigger a review of the system, Keep MMP spokesperson Sandra Grey said.

Poll shows support to keep MMP and make it better

11 November 2011

Posted as

MMP press release

A poll out today shows New Zealanders are in no mood to change their voting system.

The UMR poll, commissioned by Keep MMP, shows 63 per cent of those surveyed want MMP retained in some form.

An independent review to consider changes to MMP is guaranteed if a majority vote to keep the current system in the referendum on election day.

However, if New Zealanders vote for change, there will be another referendum in 2014 which will almost certainly pit MMP against First Past the Post, the only other voting system with any real support.