Story: Electoral systems

Party leaders debate, 1987

In 1986 a Royal Commission on the Electoral System had recommended a binding referendum on the mixed-member proportional electoral system (MMP). The Labour Party was lukewarm on the idea, but as we hear in this clip from a leaders’ debate before the 1987 general election, Prime Minister David Lange promised a binding referendum in the next term of his government. This promise was not kept.

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TVNZ Television New Zealand

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How to cite this page:

Nigel S. Roberts, 'Electoral systems - The call for electoral reform', Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/video/35680/party-leaders-debate-1987 (accessed 25 April 2024)

Story by Nigel S. Roberts, published 20 Jun 2012, updated 1 Feb 2015