Now that we have a Parliamentary election coming, why must we have unelected List MPs running our country?
Why all these List MPs? I will tell you why. Because some years ago when First Past The Post elections were deemed outdated we were given the choice of throwing it out and picking either a system of MMP or STV – short for Single Transferable Vote. There was to be a referendum, however the Government of the time, preferring MMP, decided that we the people would find STV too difficult for us to understand or handle. So no referendum and the Members chose for us.
In comes MMP, allowing for heaps of un-elected-by-the-people List MPs.
Image now if in local councils we elected a Mayor; and the new Mayor would then hand-pick his or hers un-elected council members? More or less what happens now as all our political parties do if reaching the magical five per cent of the party votes?
If somehow we could be allowed to vote STV we would have all Members in Parliament elected by the people for the people. What a true democratic country we would have!
James Newman, Mount Maunganui.