Honesty, Safety, Prosperity, Family.
This year when you vote there will be a chance to vote for someone different. People prepared to give you what you want and who are committed to implementing referendum decisions. People that want a better long term future for the country.
New Zealand is a simply wonderful country with an abundance of natural resources and places of outstanding beauty. We have great people who work hard and want to succeed but there is no question that we are under performing. The time has come for a new initiative. In the last two decades both National and Labour governments ignored the wishes of the New Zealand people by refusing to implement referendum decisions. I don’t want a country where the Government sees itself as being above the people and able to ignore them at its convenience. We need more representation and fewer political agendas. We are also opposed to the never ending cycle of increased taxation and bigger spending. With three tax increases (the Emissions Trading Scheme, increased GST rates and cancellation of the ability to claim depreciation on buildings) by the current government there is an ever-growing burden on the New Zealand tax payer. Almost every business and household has reduced spending and debt in these difficult financial times and the government should have done the same. Surely we can remember last time we spent-up large and borrowed big (also under a National government) and we ended up selling off our assets to foreign interests. If we don’t do something now the same thing is going to happen all over again. It is time for some long term thinking. We need an approach to government that is honest about the challenges ahead and willing to make some hard decisions for the benefit of everyone in New Zealand. We need your help to achieve a change.
Kindest Regards,
Colin Craig
On behalf of the Conservative Party team
www.conservativeparty.org.nz
Authorised by Kevin Stitt of 29 Gillies Avenue, Newmarket, Auckland
Questions answered by Conservative Party
Question
Conservative Party's Reply
Comment on the MMP (electoral systems) referendum to be held this election 26-Nov-2011:
Why New Zealanders rejected First Past the Post (FPP)?
The situation arose in New Zealand (1978 and 1981) under FPP where majority governments were formed by the party (National) that received a lesser number of votes. This was obviously unfair and offensive to those looking for a fair outcome. New Zealanders called for a change to the system so that government was a fairer reflection of the wishes of the voters. MMP was the recommended proportional system and was in fact the system we selected by referendum vote.
I personally do not believe New Zealanders will give up a proportional voting system which, despite poor implementation by Government, has at least yielded fair results. The governing party has consistently been the party with the most support on Election Day, and governments formed have proven stable.
Why our system is not as good as it could be?
1. Royal Commission Recommendations Ignored
Unfortunately the Government did not introduce MMP the way it was recommended. The recommendation was that there should no longer be separate Maori seats, and also that the threshold would be 4% (or perhaps lower to allow minority representation). Had MMP been implemented along the lines recommended by the Royal Commission we would have seen better outcomes.
2. Party Politics
Even under FPP there were decisions made based on party lines not on the desire of the majority within an electorate. This trend has continued and the higher than recommended threshold (5%), and arrangements of mutual convenience (National allowing ACT and United Future to win electorate seats for example), have allowed the continuance of a largely 2 party system.
3. Ignoring the People
Finally the people have been directly ignored. When over 81% of voters demanded a reduction of Members of Parliament the government refused to action this. Additionally the law and order referendum and the anti-smacking referendum have shown governments contempt for the people’s voice. This discourages active participation in the New Zealand democracy and entrenches cynicism toward elected representatives.
Summary: How the system could be better? Reduction to 99 MP’s. No more Maori seats. All New Zealanders vote as one people on one roll. The threshold being lowered (4% possibly lower). Citizens Referenda to be binding if two-thirds votes support the proposal.
check out other candidate's answers
- 2011
Party Vote
Results - Progress
| Name | Votes | |
|---|---|---|
| 1058636 | ||
| 614937 | ||
| 247372 | ||
| 147544 | ||
| 59237 | ||
| 31982 | ||
| 24168 | ||
| 23889 | ||
| 13443 | ||
| 11738 | ||
| 1714 | ||
| 1595 | ||
| 1209 | ||
| Name | Seats | |
|---|---|---|
| 60 | ||
| 34 | ||
| 13 | ||
| 8 | ||
| 3 | ||
| 1 | ||
| 1 | ||
| 1 | ||
Party list
- Colin Craig
- Kathy Sheldrake
- Larry Baldock
- Fa'avae Gagamoe
- Brian Dobbs
- Roy Brown
- Simonne Dyer
- Simon Kan
- Litia Simpson
- Kevin M Campbell
- Paul Young
- Leighton Baker
- Feleti Key
- Claire Holley
- Frank John Naea
- Frank Poching
- Jesse Misa
- Bob Daw
- Lance Gedge
- Robyn Jackson
- Pat Gregory
- Tim De Vries
- Mel Taylor
- Cynthia Liu
- Craig Jensen
- Oliver Vitali
- Danny Mountain
- Ivan Bailey
- Brent Reid
- Michael Cooke
Electorate Only Candidates (not on Party List)
- Richard Addis
- Mark Breetvelt
- Ross Calverley
- Gordon Copeland
- Ross Craig
- Rick Drayson
- Steve Greenfield
- Wilton Gray
- Grace Haden
- Stephen Jenkinson
- Roger Larkins
- Andrew Marquet
- Mark Peters
- Peter Redman
- Ian Robertson
- Huey Rurehe
- John Ryersson
- Daryl Smith
- Paul Stipkovits
- Matthew Webster
- Bruce Welsh
- Stephen Woodnutt