PM and National leader Christopher Luxon says if re-elected he would hold a referendum on MMP, NZ First and Greens accuse National of 'power grab' while Labour says Luxon has 'let the small parties ride roughshod over him'

Prime Minister and National Party leader Christopher Luxon says if re-elected back into Government, he would hold a referendum on MMP.

Responding to a listener’s question on Newstalk ZB on Thursday morning, Luxon said he was open to asking voters if they were still supportive of having MMP (Mixed Member Proportional) as New Zealand’s voting system.

When asked directly if he would hold a referendum, Luxon said “yeah, I think I would.”

He said it was “quite right to check in constitutionally and say ‘is this the system, New Zealand, you still want?’”

“‘You voted for this in the ‘90s, we’ve had a check in in the [20]10s, 20 years down the road or whatever it’s been, is it still where you want to be?’”

“When you have to form coalition governments, you don’t have the same values, you don’t have the same policies, you’re not talking to the same people," Luxon said.

He said in a coalition, you did try to find some common ground and he felt like he had done the best he could to do this on issues like the economy, law and order, education and health.

“I don’t need some yahoo or numpty from some other party around that table, I can do a lot more to get the centre-right agenda, centre being the operative word, done and out the door so think about your vote ... it’s important.”

Asked if he thought his coalition partners were full of yahoos and numpties, Luxon said no. 

“I’m just saying I can do better with National Party ministers," he said.

Coalition partners respond

Speaking to reporters on Thursday afternoon, NZ First leader Winston Peters said National calling for a referendum on MMP was "inexplicable."

"Look, it's a nonsense issue. People are happy with the democracy they've got, and they're not going to have two old, tired parties taking their freedoms ... away from them." 

Asked if he would agree to any coalition agreement that said an MMP referendum would have to take place, Peters said: "Well, there will be no such coalition agreement." 

The people wanted what they had now and they had proved this twice through two previous referendums, he said.

On social media, Peters said: "Shutting down and taking away true democratic representation from the people of New Zealand should be seen for what it is – a power grab and an ignorance for what it means to be a democracy."

ACT Party leader David Seymour told the NZ Herald that several National ministers had been dismissed during this term.

“I’m not here to start bagging other parties’ ministers but I think anyone who’s an objective observer would say that ACT ministers have been pretty effective.”

Seymour wasn't opposed to a referendum but said any change wouldn't likely be enacted until elections in 2030 or 2035. There were "more urgent problems" to address, he said.

Luxon has let small parties ‘ride roughshod over him’, Labour leader says

Labour leader Chris Hipkins said; “if people are dissatisfied with MMP at the moment, it’s because of the lack of leadership they’ve seen from the current prime minister, who happens to be Christopher Luxon.”

“He has let the small parties ride roughshod over him and the National Party in a way that’s undermined confidence in our entire democratic system.

“I’m not surprised if people are frustrated by this Government because [NZ First leader] Winston Peters and [ACT leader] David Seymour have been calling all of the shots with no mandate from the public to do so.”

Asked if he thought there should be discussion around whether MMP was working, Hipkins said New Zealanders had the opportunity in 2011 when there was a referendum and there was a clear result in favour of MMP.

"I think what Christopher Luxon's showing is that he has no idea how to manage MMP. He has no idea how to manage his job as prime minister," Hipkins said.

“We shouldn’t have to change the entire electoral system because the prime minister can’t manage his own government.”

Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson accused National of "trying to limit voters' choices for an opportunistic, self-serving power grab."

The Greens supported keeping MMP, and said a referendum would be a "waste of time and a waste of tax dollars that should instead be used to improve our social services and New Zealanders’ quality of life."

"If Luxon’s so tired of working with Winston Peters, there’s an easier way than overhauling our entire electoral system: sack him from Cabinet and bring forward the election."