For all its faults, New Zealand’s MMP is not too bad. The proportionality of Parliament roughly reflects support for different parties.
The "mixed member" compromise means citizens retain electorate representatives. Party proportionality recognises the role of parties in government or opposition.
MMP and party lists certainly give parties too much of the whip hand at the expense of individual views. That’s why the "waka-jumping" legislation is wrong.
The law, in theory at least, allows parties to kick rebel list MPs out of Parliament.
Ms Tana is a prime candidate for its use. She resigned after a Greens’ inquiry — not on ideology or principle differences.
The Greens were founded after Jeanette Fitzsimons and Rod Donald left the Alliance, and the party has been fundamentally opposed to the legislation.
If Ms Tana chooses to stay in Parliament, the Greens are one short on their elected proportion.
That is unfortunate and unfair. Every system, however, has its bugs and is far from perfect.
United States presidents can lose the popular vote and still win. It has occurred five times, the last two occasions when George W. Bush beat Al Gore (2000) and Donald Trump beat Hillary Clinton (2016). While Mrs Clinton received 2.8 million extra votes, Mr Trump won critical "swing" or "battleground" states. The Electoral College system did the rest.
The Senate disparities are starker. Because each state elects two senators, Wyoming and Vermont, with populations less than the South Island, have identical representation to California or Texas. Six states have only one seat in the US House of Representatives (Congress) and seven two. California has 52.
Britain still labours under first-past-the-post (FPP). Labour increased its vote percentage from the previous election by 2% to 34%. But it won more than 200 additional constituencies, and now has 64% of Parliament’s seats. Reform UK won 12% of the vote and 1% of the seats.
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The inequity of FPP comes up in The Spinoff’s Juggernaut podcast. It’s about the momentous social, cultural and economic changes that followed the 1984 snap election.
Six episodes have "dropped" over the past six weeks, and it’s compelling listening to anyone interested at all in New Zealand history or politics. No wonder it quickly became, by this country’s standards, a podcast juggernaut.
The growl of former National prime minister Robert Muldoon is as many will remember. Recordings from the times are intermingled with interviews from the past and today. Roger Douglas, Marilyn Waring, Jim McLay, Geoffrey Palmer, Margaret Wilson, Richard Prebble, Hekia Parata and Wayne Harman all have stories to tell.
Bob Jones’ New Zealand Party received 12% of the 1984 vote and not a single seat. Bill Rowling’s Labour won the popular vote in 1981 but not the election, paving the way for David Lange.
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Here’s more rugby cliche irritation. The second All Black test against England was on Eden Park’s "hallowed turf". It was at the "cauldron" of Eden Park’s "fortress".
Civis also notes the ubiquity of "under the pump". When an Australian commentator used the idiom during Lulu Sun’s Wimbledon quarterfinal, the other tennis commentator was bemused.
It’s primarily used in Australia and New Zealand, also popping up in Sky highlights of the second Australia-Wales rugby test.
It could have come from a sailing term. Ships taking on water might have to be bailed or pumped out around the clock until they reached safe harbour.
It might also mean working under frantic pressure while fast-setting concrete is pumped from above.
