2018: Electoral (Integrity) Amendment Act
December 14, 2019
By AHNZ
Statist history teaches that there were no parties until 1890 but it isn’t so. The various factions/parties were formed by internal loyalty rather than by a democratic rule book.
Members did not elect their leaders, they just supported them. This led to considerable voting stability and required strong leaders who could command the respect of their peers rather than commanding Red Tape or access to power. The power was in the electorate who had chosen their representative.
“First came Sewell’s Constitutional Party (est. 1854,) followed by Fox’s Progress Party…. It was better than the autocracy of the Governor and his selected Ministers.”- AHNZ
Contrast this with the new law according to the Electoral (Integrity) Amendment Act (aka Waka-Jumping Act…)
“When enacted, this bill will mean that the leader of a political party can write to the Speaker saying they believe that one of their MPs has distorted the proportionality of Parliament and may do so again. In other words, the MP has not voted with the rest of their caucus. As long as the leader has the agreement of two-thirds of the parliamentary party, the MP will lose their seat.”- Noted
The pretence of our new law is that it is to “enhance public confidence.” In fact, its purpose to change New Zealand’s constitution so that Members of the House are now bound to their Party Leader rather than to their own electorate.
The constituency of a Member has been transfered from being the people of an electorate to the constituency of the Parliamentary Leader such as Winston Peters or Jacinda Ardern. So much for being a House of “Representatives” in anything now but name!
Rather than command leadership and trust in their members on a personal level the Parliamentary Leaders are using legislation to leash their underlings. This is a clear signal that they already know they cannot hold their ‘team’ together.
“The fight starts when an MP decides to leave their party, because currently there’s no requirement for them to also leave Parliament.”
“This Bill aims to change that and says the defecting MP would have to give up their seat.”- RNZ
The ironic thing is that the last act of these free Members has been to leash themselves by voting for this legislation. The last act of leadership the Parliamentary Leaders ever had to make in New Zealand history was to hold their juniors in line long enough to make the new law. Doubtless all sorts of promises to the Members was being made about their bright futures if they’ll just slip on the collar…
Really though, in my opinion, this is about as significant to our Governmental Executive as when the Suicide Squad in the Legislative Chamber voted to abolish their entire institution back in 1951. Of course, back then, we were not living in Victimhood Culture times so there was awareness and fuss to contend with. Today changes like these can occur and hardly a whisper is heard. The Mainstream Media have little or nothing to say about this huge consolidation of power into the hands of political party power brokers.
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Image ref. 31 December, Legislative Council Abolition Act (1950); Abolition was intended as an interim measure. So they said; Minhinnick; New Zealand Herald; Alexander Turnbull Library; National Library NZ
Image ref. New MPs are sworn in to Parliament and their chains integrity attached; solarnavigator.net/slavery.htm
Ref. Electoral (Integrity) Amendment Bill gained Royal Assent on 3 Ocotober, 2018; parliament.nz
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