The politics of compromise

Mike Moore argues that MMP is one among a number of constitutionally important issues that need to be considered in concert.

I didn't support MMP when it was introduced, saying it would not be the dog that wagged the tail, but what's under the dog's tail that would wag the body politic.

Recently, we have seen this: one small MP from a small party promises to throw his toys out of the cot if Maori get special representation in Auckland.

The Greens promised to spit the dummy if there was no support for an unworkable anti-smacking Bill, so the past government caved in.

Winston Peters swears before an election he will not join National in government, but does.

Jim Anderton crusades against closer economic relations with Australia, GST, the export of education, a floating dollar, an independent central bank, and then joins a government where those issues are not negotiable.

Peter Dunne, a minster in a Labour-led government before an election, says he will join with National after the election, keeps his job and privileges, and jumps ship without getting his feet wet or losing a day's pay.

People thought MMP would mean more transparent politics and they got more politics and 20% more MPs.

Sordid deals are always done after the election.

Anything can happen, and does.

Whatever it takes to form a government.

Who would have ever thought that Labour would accept Mr Peters, who made his name attacking foreigners, as our foreign minister? Who would have thought National would get into bed with Maori sovereignty types? In both cases, these partners stood for something each major party, for generations, was opposed to.

Who really believes that Mr Anderton or Mr Dunne would be in Parliament in the first instance, had they not been originally elected under a Labour ticket?

The same situation applies to Mr Peters, who had the grace to stand down and face a by-election.

Now, because both Mr Anderton and Mr Dunne claim to lead parties, they get to spend a million dollars over a three-year period to service their parties and get themselves elected.

It's all very cynical.

Labour won't put up a fight against Mr Anderton, and National does not fight Mr Dunne.

National told its voters to back Act's Richard Prebble in Wellington Central, and Labour (gasp) told its voters to back National in Epsom, to stop Act's Rodney Hide.