Political power
Sir,—For a party ostensibly dedicated to equality of opportunity and income sharing, Labour is strangely reluctant to support a fairer distribution of political power — opting instead for more M.P.s, more expense, and more boundary fiddling, judging by its submissions to the Electoral Commission. A member of that commission, Professor Richard Mulgan, says in his recently published book, “Democracy and Power in New Zealand” “that ..if equality implies that the final decision goes to the majority rather than to the minority, it also implies that everyone’s voice should be heard and their views counted. Any diminution.of these rights constitutes an infringement of democratic principles.” First-past-the-post ballots do just this. Labour’s conservative underwear is showing. Now we can be sure — when it comes to democracy, only the Democrats can deliver.—Yours, etc., HEATHER M. SMITH. Blenheim, August 13, 1985.
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Press, 19 August 1985, Page 20
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138Political power Press, 19 August 1985, Page 20
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