Thanks Matt

We're no fans of MMP, nor do we ever reckon that New Zealand will revert to a first-past-the-post electoratal system. But Matt McCarten has, possibly inadvertently, made a very strong case this morning for MMP to be given the flick. He opines (our emphasis added):

Let's do a bit of crystal ball gazing ahead of the 2011 general election.

The conventional wisdom of John Key and his party being a shoo-in for a return to the Treasury benches this year is based on pretty convincing polls and performance in contrast to a lacklustre Phil Goff.

However, even with huge poll leads of up to 20 percentage points over Labour, nothing can be taken for granted due to the nature of MMP.

A five-point drop by National over the next few months, which I think is realistic, changes everything. Even if Labour was 15 points behind National on election day, Goff could still win the prime ministership.

Well said Matt! The only way that Phil Goff could become Prime Minister would be if he could cobble together a mish-mash of small parties, each with its own agenda, and each believing that its way was the right way. It's the classic tail-wags-dog scenario.

We're grateful to Matt McCarten for pointing this out to the great unwashed. He has pointed out everything that is wrong with MMP. It is not proportional representation; it gives the minor parties a disproportionate level of influence.

That's food for thought as we head towards an election later in the year, and also the promised referendum on the electoral system. There has to be a better way of choosing who represents us; does anyone have any bright ideas?