Politicians’ pre-election rule-outs are undermining MMP’s core benefit
Politicians are deciding coalition options months before election day, stripping voters of the choice that makes MMP distinctive.
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon's ruling out of a potential coalition with the Opportunity Party exemplifies a pattern where major parties have pre-emptively eliminated possible government partners before voters cast their ballots. This contradicts the fundamental purpose of MMP, which requires governments to be built through compromise and cross-party cooperation. While the rule-outs give voters some certainty, they prevent the system from achieving its intended flexibility and can push governments toward ideological extremes. Other proportional representation democracies regularly form politically diverse coalitions, but New Zealand politicians are effectively converting MMP back into a two-party election.
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The Spinoff
The rule-in, rule-out game is ruining one of the best things about MMP
Our governments are meant to be decided by elections, not by a process of elimination carried out by politicians months before ballots are cast, writes Hayden Donnell. Christopher Luxon didn’t even seem like he meant to rule out working with…