Electoral reform came to New Zealand when I was old enough to remember it, but too young to have any idea what the adults were all talking about. At the tender age of nine years old, I remember driving over the Newmarket overbridge with my mother, and instead of pointing out the usual phalluses burnt into Mt Hobson with petrol, asking her “What does, ‘It’s gotta be MMP’ mean?”. This well-placed piece of vandalism stayed up on Mt Hobson for months – it was probably the best billboard the 
campaign could have got. 


The Mt Hobson graffiti was emblazoned onto the hill during the referendum to decide which electoral system New Zealand should switch to – the country would later vote to change to the Mixed Member Proportional (MMP) system by a slim margin, with only 54 per cent of voters voting for it. The slim margin meant nothing to this kid, who watched the TV and saw that MMP looked pretty damn exciting. One ad spot involved a woman explaining MMP to her family by cutting up a cake, which probably sealed my young mind’s belief in the new system. I mean, who doesn’t love cake?


What a cake we got! The average number of parties in Parliament before MMP came in was 2.4. Since MMP was introduced, we’ve had an 
average of seven parties in Parliament. These parties have been made up of an increasing number of GLBT candidates representing a variety of GLBT views. Nowadays, we have so many GLBT candidates on party lists that express didn’t have enough room in its features section to publish 
interviews with each one. We managed to choose a selection of eight candidates that come from both sides of the house. Even United Future has a gay 
candidate! Progress? Most definitely.


But with all this progress comes the opportunity for progress to be rolled back. And no, I’m not meaning John Key’s Big Gay Out statement that his government didn’t roll back any of our rights… I’m referring to the opportunity some see in the electoral system referendum. My fears are similar to the fears I had in 2008 – that New Zealand will seek to make change for the sake of making change. My 2008 fears came to pass with a change of government, but I’m hoping my 2011 fears won’t come to pass with a change of electoral system.


MMP has brought a variety of voices to New Zealand Parliament – voices would not have been heard under First Past the Post. I’m of the firm belief that the smaller parties keep the larger parties honest, and allow for a breadth of interests to be represented in Parliament and in policy. So I urge you, after you’ve made those two ticks on 26 November, remember what they’ve brought us. And keep MMP.

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Hannah JV

editor@gayexpress.co.nz