The Government has introduced a bill to Parliament which allows the 2011 referendum on the electoral system to take place.Justice Minister Simon Power said that after it had been given a first reading the bill would go to a special select committee for pu
The Government has introduced a bill to Parliament which allows the 2011 referendum on the electoral system to take place.
Justice Minister Simon Power said that after it had been given a first reading the bill would go to a special select committee for public submissions.
The Electoral Referendum Bill legislates for the format of the referendum, which was announced last month.
The referendum, which will be held at the same time as the 2011 general election, will ask voters two questions.
The first will be whether they want to retain the present MMP voting system, and secondly what alternative system they would prefer out of First-Past-the-Post, Preferential Vote, Single Transferable Vote and Supplementary Member.
If a majority of voters do not want to retain MMP there will be a second, binding referendum in 2014 putting up MMP against the most preferred option from the first referendum.
If more than 50 percent of voters want to retain MMP, the Electoral Commission will carry out a review of the system.
It will seek public opinion and report to the minister of justice on whether any changes are necessary or desirable.
The Government wants cross-party support for the way the referendum is carried out, and Parliament today agreed to set up a special select committee to deal with the bill. It will have MPs on it from all the parties in Parliament.
