Independent views By Brendan Horan

Is the move towards presidential-style election campaigns in New Zealand focusing mostly on the leader's personality and healthy politics what we as a nation want?

How often have we seen world leaders whose self-importance and perceived power corrupts systems and democracy?

How often have we seen our Prime Minister, in the last two terms, retract previous commitments and dismiss real concerns this fellow countrymen bring to his attention.

Party politics have provided a platform for party leaders to construct frameworks that constrain MPs to follow the party line and not their electorate's wishes, made up of the very people who elected them.

As Plato wrote: 'One of the penalties for not taking an interest in politics is that you end up being governed by your inferiors”.

Our new concept of a coalition of Iike-minded independents connected electronically, and within their electorates face to face with constituents personally, is a positive new direction we think the electorate will rally around.

It is about listening to the people who elected you and voting the way they instruct their MP. The independent MP will connect through electronic referendum on significant Bills and respect and vote in favour of their electorate's wishes. They will represent their electorate; the people who voted them in.