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Saturday, October 21, 2017

The Election Result

Labour, NZ First & The Green Party have reached agreements that will give them a majority in parliament for the current parliamentary term. This means that Jacinda Arden will be the prime minister of New Zealand.

We all need to accept, whichever way we voted, that the electoral system is set up the way it is. There was a free and fair election and between them (Left to Right) Greens-Labour-NZF received more votes than National-Act so they are the ones forming the new government.


A number of people keep whining about this on social media. Among the points they raise is that National is the largest party yet is in opposition.

Our system does not guarantee the biggest party will govern. We used to do that (Not quite, but as there were usually only two parties in parliament it had much the same effect)  and it led to near absolute rule by elected dictatorships for 3 year periods. The people who voted for Robert Muldoon with his right of centre rhetoric were never told he intended to veer so far towards a state controlled the economy, normally the province of the left & the people who voted for Langue in 1984 had no idea he was about to launch this country on a swing to the right with a free market, asset sales and a consumption tax on basic food.

Among other reasons, MMP was brought in to make a repeat of that less likely

Unlike many countries there will be another free and fair election in not more than 3 years & the voters will again choose.

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