Decision Time II (or Help me out here: update)

(I am not Inv2)

As I blogged previously, I'd been in somewhat of a quandry over where to direct my vote and was asked in comments to update when I made my decision. It seemed appropriate, as Keeping Stocks junior contributor, to copy-cat Inventory2's post by way of responding to that request.

• I'm voting for Sam Lotu-Iiga in the Maungakiekie electorate. I haven't had anything to do with Sam, beyond bumping into him around Onehunga a couple of times, although I expect to be visiting his office in the not-to-distant, to get him to sign my Citizenship application. As Blair Mulholland and Liberty Scott note in their recommendations, this really is a complete no-brainer. Sam is ahead of the field like Usain Bolt when he's actually trying.
• Party vote-wise, principle wins out and it's a positive tick for Libertarianz. I should credit PC and Liberty Scott for their thoughful writing over the last cycle (and Old Holborn's rather more forthright brand of Libertarian thinking) that has lead me to my current place on the political spectrum - thanks. I know that I'll get flak from plenty of fellow Righties for a "wasted" vote, but I just can't give my approval to something that is merely a slower slide in the wrong direction.
• I will also be voting for change in the referendum. I wasn't in the country at the time MMP was adopted, but I can't say how much I loath the whole concept of the list MP. I utterly reject the notion pushed by the political left, that proportionality is everything and accountability to an electorate doesn't matter.
• So, what to change to? It's an imperfect set of options, but FPP is out and SM still has list MPs, so it comes down to STV versus PV. I'm going with STV because despite what I said above, proportionality is important, it should just be second to accountability. I don't buy the "too complex" argument or the idea that it will be difficult to have enough information about all the candidates to cast an informed vote.