Philip Temple

The Herald had an opinion piece from Philip Temple yesterday about MMP. Yes readers, I know you are saying who’s he?

Well he is the beardy weirdy academic who fronted the pro-MMP campaign. Not that you’d know from the disclosure statement provided by the NZ Herald which just calls him a researcher and a writer. It is always best to know where people are coming from don’t you think?

Anyway he says:

Ignoring vast public support for electoral reform would hurt the Government at the next election, writes Philip Temple.

Which is bullshit of course. The public won’t notice much at all.

Just look about, the evidence is before you of the indifference to politicians of public opinion. Increasing penalties for violent crime, this measure passed by 91.78%….ignored. Reduction of parliament from 120 to 99 seats, with 81.47% voting for this proposal…ignored. The referendum opposing Sue Bradfords reforms, 87.4% of votes answered ‘no’ but the politicians ignored it.

There has been no resulting upending of our democracy as a result, nor has any party been punished for ignoring the public will.

Philip Temple is the beardy weirdy of the Campaign for MMP and he is lecturing all and sundry about the referendum:

‘The politicians have already had far too much to say about which electoral system we should be voting for. To have them telling us which voting system we should choose is like asking foxes to design the hen-house.’

‘It is especially reprehensible that the anti-MMP lobby has politicised the referendum debate by using the images of politicians Winston Peters and John Key to further the lobby’s clear sectional self-interest. This reveals their contempt for the neutrality of the voting system and the views of ordinary New Zealanders.’

What Philip Temple neglects to tell everyone when he is busy informing us all that politicians should but out is that the Campaign for MMP is out there busy delivering pamphlets for Labour and Labour and the Greens are registered as promoters in support of MMP. The national party is the only party that has not adopted a party line and is not registered as a promoter int eh referendum.

As is usual with meddling academics they see only what they want to see. They can politicise the referendum to their own ends, but no one else is allowed to. If anyone has shown contempt for neutrality of the voting system it is the Campaign for MMP and the vested interests of the union movement.

Yet another reason to Vote for Change on Saturday.