Published 15 days ago • loading... • Updated 14 days ago
Christopher Luxon Will Call Referendum on MMP Voting System if Elected Back Into Power
On Thursday, New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon announced he is open to holding a referendum on the country's Mixed-Member Proportional electoral system if he secures re-election on November 7.
Luxon expressed frustration with coalition governance, stating he wants to avoid working with "some yahoo and numpty" in Cabinet to better advance his center-right agenda.
New Zealand First leader Winston Peters labeled the proposal "inexplicable" and a "power grab," while Labour leader Chris Hipkins noted 58% of voters supported MMP in the 2011 election.
Act leader David Seymour is not opposed to the referendum but cautioned that changes would likely not be implemented until the 2032 or 2035 elections, citing "more urgent problems."
The referendum would serve as a constitutional check-in for Luxon, who aims to hold the vote as early as next year to see if the electoral system is still where New Zealanders want to be.