Reform coalition ‘opposed’

Press, 9 December 1988, Page 4

Reform coalition ‘opposed’

The committee’s recommendations have been criticised by the Electoral Reform Coalition.

The coalition was opposed to giving a still undemocratic Parliament more power through a four-year term, said a spokesman, Mr Phil Saxby.

A Government with only 40 per cent of the vote cast could survive virtually unchecked for four years instead of the present three, as National had in 1978 and 1981.

He said the supplementary member system recommended was not proportional and meant that the Government was being invited not to keep its 1987 election promise of having a referendum op proportional representation.

Both the Prime Minis-

ter’s and Deputy Prime Minister’s undertakings were being repudiated by a committee on which their colleagues formed a majority. Small parties would get only token representation in Parliament under the supplementary member system, Mr Saxby said, or even none at all.

Thus the present unjust two-party system would be preserved.

That wouid continue the present negative adversary system in Parliament, with its sterile debate

In any form, he said, the supplementary member system would make Parliament less accountable to public moods and attitudes than the mixed member proportional system which had been the Royal Commission’s first choice.