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A meritocratic electoral system

DU Andrew McPherson Public Seen by 240

I believe that it is time for a better, meritocratic electoral system to reform our democracy.

I propose that NZ declare independence on the next appropriate Waitangi Day.

I suggest that we create a senate and presidency drawn from academia, that all new zealand citizens and residents who either : are attending a NZ tertiary institution, or who have attended a NZ tertiary institution, or are NZ tertiary academic staff, may vote for the academic senators who will then vote for president among themselves, and the runner up is then vice-president.
The president then forms a cabinet from the full senate, which is charged with review of parliamentary process and execution of presidential policies.
In this model, we no longer suffer from leadership that may not be able to rise above average intelligence levels. This means we could reasonably expect the academic senate to work for the best and smartest solutions in a way that very few elected politicians have done.

Further reform of the electoral system would first involve a full and final treaty settlement to maori, by the establishment of 2 major maori enterprises earning revenue for local maori on a regular basis, namely a third supermarket chain, or iwi-mart. Also a iwi-hotel chain staffed by maori workers. Both enterprises would return dividends directly to individual maori and would not depend on the iwi hierarchy to get around to making decisions.
This then allows for abolishment of the maori electorates, to return all voters to equal status regardless of race.
This is unlikely to cause problems like the colonial land wars unless people get drunk on whaleoil.

Then electorates are changed from individual FPP to STV regional electorates of 7, where the top 7 candidates in a regional electorate are elected to parliament. There will be 10 electorates, 1 southern south island, 1 central south island, 1 cook strait & wellington region, 1 central north island, 1 taranaki and the west, 1 gisbourne and the east, 1 waikato & south auckland, 1 east auckland, 1 west auckland, 1 central auckland to northland.
In this model, there are still 50 list MPs drawn by MMP. The electoral threshold will be 2.5 % (3 List MPs), or 1 electorate MP.

Another new electoral reform is the addition of 3 Party MPs for each registered party not elected to parliament. This will result in a more diverse parliament, even though the party MPs will be rated at 1/3 the parliamentary vote of an electorate or list MP.
List and Party MPs who resign from their party are removed from parliament and replaced with the next candidate from that party. (Brendan Horan clause)
Electorate MPs who resign from their party retain their place in Parliament, and may form their own party to gain 2 Party MPs if they have a registered party. (Peter Dunne deal clause)

Any questions about this, please feel free to start a proposal or discuss it below. Thanks, Andrew McPherson.

CM

Craig Magee Sun 14 Dec 2014 9:05AM

Go home Andrew, you're drunk!

DU

Andrew McPherson Sun 14 Dec 2014 9:57AM

@craigmagee , Even in the years when I was a drinker, I've never actually been drunk or had a hangover.
I'm just on a very productive Weekend, and this was 3rd major idea of the day.

AR

Andrew Reitemeyer Tue 16 Dec 2014 10:32PM

New Zealand needs a better check, in our one chamber system, than the courts. A senate would be a good way station to full participatory democracy,. I tend to Platonism in a lot of things but philosopher-kings is not one of them

However I cannot be for any system that would restrict the eligibility of representatives in any way. I would like to see at least a proportion of seats filled by lot - that would be compulsory, like the jury system, with only health issues excusing those chosen.

DS

Danyl Strype Tue 4 Aug 2015 4:28PM

@andrewmcpherson came up with some creative suggestions here. I disagree with a lot of them, but I don't think he deserved to be trolled by @craigmagee just for sharing them. Despite the fact that we are obviously in no position to influence the country's constitutional arrangements at this point, I think it's worth sharing and debating potential alternatives. If for no other reason than it sharpens our ability to clearly articulate our political thinking.

I agree with Andrew McP that electorate voting, along with local body voting, should be STV, and with the "Brendan Horan clause" (for those with longer memories could also be called the "Alemain Kopu clause").

I disagree with technocracy; the idea that members of an academic elite make betters decisions in isolation than a mixture of people representing different sectors of society (not that our current parliament is very good at that either). The proposals for Māori governance assume that pākeha have some right to dictate to Māori how they should run their affairs, we don't. The only legitimate way to abolish the Māori electorates would be persuading all people of Māori descent to enrol to vote on the general roll rather than the Māori roll.

I have a number of alternative proposals which I'm sure Craig would find equally risible, including parliament serving as an upper house, with most of its current business delegated to regional councils, essentially recreating the Provincial governance system which was abolished in 1876, and making Aotearoa a federal democracy.

DU

Andrew McPherson Tue 11 Aug 2015 9:28AM

I should note that the process in the OP was influenced by how India actually works it's upper house, as a house of appointed academics.