Below is a selection of tweets relating to Labour's dilemma about electoral deals, and about abolishing the MMP 5% exemption for parties that win an electorate. As usual, the most recent tweets are first [Read more below]
My basic principle is that any changes to MMP should improve representation, not reduce it.
Are Labour gonna lower the MMP threshold or just scrap the coat-tailing?
Labour claiming to be "principled and consistent" on electorate lifeboat. Coromandel 1999 anyone?
Idiot/Savant @norightturnnz
My basic principle is that any changes to MMP should improve representation, not reduce it.
BREAKING: Labour secures influential Patrick Gower vote.
BK Drinkwater @BKDrinkwater
Dumping the 5% percent threshold would enhance proportionality and render the coat-tails rule completely unnecessary.
BK Drinkwater @BKDrinkwater
The rule is not pretty, but it does provide a (partial, inadequate) fix to the party-vote threshold's damage to proportionality.
In case I haven't harped on enough about this: removing the coat-tails rule is detrimental to MMP's proportionality.
Patrick Gower @patrickgowernz
David Cunliffe tells @FirstlineNZ a Labour Govt would scrap coat-tailing in first 100 days http://www.3news.co.nz/Scrap-coat-tail-provision---Cunliffe/tabid/1607/articleID/347000/Default.aspx … Strong move, good politics
Lew @LewSOS
Something something cabbage-boat-tailing
labour to scrap coat tail rort, bow tie faction understood to be not happy
Our editorial from 2012 calling for an end to single seat coat-tailing under MMP: 'National too timid on MMP review' http://nzh.tw/10833813
Louis Houlbrooke @louishoulbrooke
Do people accept that scrapping 'coat-tailing' in MMP makes the system less proportional? I thought proportionality was the point of MMP?
Stephanie Rodgers @stephanierodgrs
So depressed about the entire concept of "coat-tailing". It's an attack on the whole concept of MMP. #nzpol
David Cunliffe @DavidCunliffeMP
A Labour Government will take steps to end coat-tailing within our first 100 days. The public don’t like it - we’ll get rid of it.
Circulating theory on twitter that Labour's flash GOTV computer has identified the vote block they need and it's Paddy Gower.
Philip Matthews @secondzeit
If they abolish coat tails, top hats will be next.
Are there any other undemocratic aspects of electoral law that Labour plans to change without consensus or consultation? Say, the threshold?
Philip Lyth @philiplyth
OTOH, two things amuse me about all the outrage: forgetting National changed electoral law under urgency immediately after winning office
Lew @LewSOS
To elaborate; the coattail rule needs to be consulted again if enacted on its own bc the rise of the IMP has changed things significantly.
Lew @LewSOS
Why does an electoral rule that only applies at elections must be fixed urgently? Does Cunliffe not anticipate his govt lasting a full term?
History suggests that the best way for Labour to destroy the Greens is to form a government with them.
Given that they cannot form a Government without the Greens, the public need to know how they regard their policies.
Lew @LewSOS
I kinda like that Chippie has gotten into shooting his mouth off. It's the least-ambiguous we've heard Labour for a while.
Struggling to see how asking people to vote for your party makes someone anti-MMP. Electoral manipulation is anti-MMP.
Chris Hipkins @chrishipkins
I'm out the campaigning for Labour to win the election, not steal it through the type of dodgy deals we've rightly criticized National for.
Matt Nippert @MattNippert
Yo! @patrickgowernz! Why not agitate for zero party vote threshold? It would, at a stroke, render all dirty deals pointless.
This is becoming weary refrain, but following Internet-Mana I must repeat: Will no one rid me of this turbulent five percent MMP threshold?
Chris Hipkins @chrishipkins
The good old days, when political parties formed from movements. Now all it takes is a couple of million and some unprincipled sellouts.
Matthew Hooton @MatthewHootonNZ
Chris Trotter is angry with @DavidCunliffeMP again. Says he is betraying the left by not knifing @NgatiBird #nzpol http://thedailyblog.co.nz/2014/06/02/truth-or-dare-why-david-cunliffe-needs-to-come-clean-with-the-labour-left/ …
I'm beginning to think that Kelvin Davis has more support within Labour's caucus than David Cunliffe does..
Watching how Labour reacts to the parties to it's left, not disimilar to how Lab was treated when it arose as a political party
@chrishipkins will you turn down a cabinet seat if Labour gets into Government with help of @InternetPartyNZ and Mana? Serious question.
Martyn Bradbury @CitizenBomber
Has Kelvin Davis stopped self mutilating Labour's chance to win yet?
Why all the focus on a Labour-Mana deal in the Tai Tokerau? Surely Waiariki's a two for one play that would put Mana in and Maori Party out.
