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Hawke’s Bay
The Internet Party has launched an online petition calling for MMP's 5% threshold to be lowered, and the coat-tail rule to be abolished — despite the fact its election strategy revolves around the rule.
Leader Laila Harre denied here party were hypocrites, telling OneNews, "I didn't support first past the post but that didn't mean we didn't stand in first past the post elections."
As one half of the new Internet Mana, the Internet Party has the first, third and fourth places on the two parties' combined list.
If Mana leader Hone Harawira holds his seat, Internet Mana will need just 1.3% of the nationwide list vote to get a second MP, drawn from the Internet Party, into Parliament (the Internet Party has yet to finalise its list).
The coat-tail rule allows a party that wins an electorate seat to bring a second MP into Parliament if it wins 1.3% of the list vote.
In the Internet Party's case it could potentially create a public backlash as its alliance with Mana expires just six weeks after the election.
The party's MMP petition does not address such so-called "waka jumping."
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Internet Party calls for elimination of coat-tail rule, denies hypocrisy
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