Awesome to see Mr Shaw is techy enough to mention signal and noise in an interview.

I thought this article in today's Herald was an interesting take. FWIW I concur with it's conclusion that MMP as currently in place does not work here.

The Green Party could stay out of any coalition and therefore be in a position to keep the Government honest especially as I believe that NZ First will go with Labour which would put National in the treasury seats. National would have have environmentally sustainable policies and and programmes. I feel the Green party will get swamped in a three way coalition with Labour and NZF.

MikeB4:

 

The Green Party could stay out of any coalition and therefore be in a position to keep the Government honest especially as I believe that NZ First will go with Labour which would put National in the treasury seats. National would have have environmentally sustainable policies and and programmes. I feel the Green party will get swamped in a three way coalition with Labour and NZF.

 

Sorry Mike, I had to have a little chuckle when I read that comment.

Re fraudster co-leader Metiria: James Shaw and the Greens is who I would prefer to be kept in check by National, opposed to it being the other way round.

LOl you don't have to worry . You might not know, but Metiria Turei isn't an MP any more.

Varkk:

 

 

 

Julie-Ann Genter ran rings around Brownlee when she was Green transport spokesperson and he was the minister. That is just one example off the top of my head.

 

I sat next to Julie-Ann on a flight from Welly to ChCh.  I can report she is very passionate about sustainable public transport and relentlessly positive but doesn't seem to have much grounding in reality.  She seemed to be a nice and intelligent person, but again the phrase starry eyed idealist comes to mind. I would see her as someone suited to advocacy, not governance.

I wouldn't be surprised to see her run rings around Brownlee when it comes to talking about transport.  The Greens are great talkers - that's all they have ever had an opportunity to do.

When it comes to doing the actual work required of a Minister, I would back Brownlee hands down.

Geektastic:

 

I thought this article in today's Herald was an interesting take. FWIW I concur with it's conclusion that MMP as currently in place does not work here.

 

That article repeats the fallacy that power rests with the minor party(s) that join to form a coalition.

The truth is that power rests with all those who are elected and join in a coalition. It's up to all the parties to discuss and agree a way forward. The smaller need the large too.

MMP works well here, and the electorate asked to keep it the last time they were asked.

It has greatly reduced the problem of wasted votes which is terrible under FPP.

Geektastic:

 

I thought this article in today's Herald was an interesting take. FWIW I concur with it's conclusion that MMP as currently in place does not work here.

 

Yes it does. 

It seems to me that if your party wins, and is in a coalition, in MMP, it works.

If you party doesnt win, or may not, in MMP, then MMP doest work.

An Apple vs Android thread may be more productive

Geektastic:

 

I thought this article in today's Herald was an interesting take. FWIW I concur with it's conclusion that MMP as currently in place does not work here.

 

Its worked before. National supported by partners Maori and United Future. It works.

This election is no different. 

I believe that since MMP was introduced, no single party achieved a 50.1% vote? But the Government that was formed, did. Quite simple really, unless this year it doesnt quite suit??? 

tdgeek:

 

Geektastic:

 

I thought this article in today's Herald was an interesting take. FWIW I concur with it's conclusion that MMP as currently in place does not work here.

 

 

Its worked before. National supported by partners Maori and United Future. It works.

 

This election is no different. 

 

 

 

I believe that since MMP was introduced, no single party achieved a 50.1% vote? But the Government that was formed, did. Quite simple really, unless this year it doesnt quite suit??? 

 

Dead right.  

Partisan sour grape whining is no reason to revisit how the good system works.

tdgeek:

 

It seems to me that if your party wins, and is in a coalition, in MMP, it works.

 

If you party doesnt win, or may not, in MMP, then MMP doest work.

 

An Apple vs Android thread may be more productive

 

I can only think of two occasions when MMP has proven significantly problematic: -

1996 - When NZ First won all the Maori seats.  Winston Peters kept the country in limbo for weeks.  Then after Shipley rolled Bolger the coalition deal fell apart and so did NZ first.  The Maori MPs in NZF mostly abandoned NZ First to form Mauri Pacific.  Peters now dislikes the Maori seats.

2017 - Peters holds the balance of power and once again ...

In between it has worked quite well, with a little short term uncertainty in 2005.

I think MMP is vulnerable to politicians like Peters.

Mostly it has worked and the two parties in NZ have adopted more centrist policy positions as a result. Labour and Nats now have more similar policy than any other two parties. Perhaps they should be in coalition.

We haven't seen the extremes of the Muldoon/Lange governments under MMP.  Parliament has passed socially difficult legislation (same sex marriage, PRA etc) with minimal fuss.

MikeAqua:

 

Varkk:

 

 

 

Julie-Ann Genter ran rings around Brownlee when she was Green transport spokesperson and he was the minister. That is just one example off the top of my head.

 

 

I sat next to Julie-Ann on a flight from Welly to ChCh.  I can report she is very passionate about sustainable public transport and relentlessly positive .....

 

And why didn't she take the train / bus /ferry instead of flying ?

SepticSceptic:

 

MikeAqua:

 

Varkk:

 

 

 

Julie-Ann Genter ran rings around Brownlee when she was Green transport spokesperson and he was the minister. That is just one example off the top of my head.

 

 

I sat next to Julie-Ann on a flight from Welly to ChCh.  I can report she is very passionate about sustainable public transport and relentlessly positive .....

 

 

And why didn't she take the train / bus /ferry instead of flying ?

 

Funny. 

networkn:

 

SepticSceptic:

 

MikeAqua:

 

Varkk:

 

 

 

Julie-Ann Genter ran rings around Brownlee when she was Green transport spokesperson and he was the minister. That is just one example off the top of my head.

 

 

I sat next to Julie-Ann on a flight from Welly to ChCh.  I can report she is very passionate about sustainable public transport and relentlessly positive .....

 

 

And why didn't she take the train / bus /ferry instead of flying ?

 

 

Funny. 

 

 

 

Thats not funny.

She was probably off to another climate conference.