Students school up parents on referendum

Although they may be too young to vote this time, students at Auckland Girls' Grammar are well versed in how general elections and referendums work.

"We've watched lots of videos on YouTube," says Steffi Seniedo, 14.

"With that orange guy," adds her classmate Filomena Delai, 15. "I'd never thought about it before this. Now I'm helping my family understand it."

The school's head of social studies, Etomia Wilson, says the girls are learning about the election and referendum in a topic on government, using an Electoral Commission teaching resource kit.

Miss Wilson says it could be the only opportunity to teach them about elections and voting systems before they finish school.

"These girls will be voting next time. We teach them a lot of stuff at school, and this is probably a key thing they will use. They've also been very interested in youth issues, like the driving age and drinking age. We've looked at the fact that in North Korea they can vote at 17."

The girls have grasped an understanding of the referendum and how the voting systems work and say they've enjoyed learning about it.

Madeleine Brown-Haysom, 15, says learning about politics in the classroom means she'll be able to form her own opinion in the future. "If you learn from your parents, you'll just parrot what they say."

Asked what they think is the best voting

ystem, the five girls variously select Mixed Member Proportional (MMP), First Past the Post (FPP), and Preferential Voting (PV).

All agreed Single Transferable Voting (STV) seemed complicated.

"I like PV," says Madeleine, "because you rank your preference but not based on a party."

In this, all candidates stand for an electorate (there is no party list) and the candidate with more than half the first preference votes wins.

Michaela Tapp, 14, and Filomena choose our current system, MMP. They see it as the best way to include minor parties.

"It's fair and proportioned. It gives smaller parties a chance," says Filomena.

Ziedee Danielle P. Beping, 15, would like to see a change back to FPP, which gives voters one vote for an MP in their electorate. The candidate with the most votes wins, but they don't have to win more than 50 per cent of votes, and a party can win the election without collecting the most votes nationally.

She shows parental influence in her choice, however.

"My dad told me it's best because you actually know exactly who you're voting for."

Madeleine argues that if your vote doesn't go to the majority, it counts for nothing.

The girls have also researched various party policies and debated them, forming opinions to use in their election. "We have a mock election on the 22nd with enrolment officers from each class. Two girls count the votes and seal up the boxes and then we release the results after the real election," says Miss Wilson.

Until then, the students can try swaying their families one way or the other, ahead of the big day on November 26.

WHY A REFERENDUM?

MMP came into effect in 1996, with the Government promising to review its success. There was no set date for when that might happen until the Goverment promised a referendum when theyafter wereit was elected in 2008.

There will be two questions:

1 Do you want to keep MMP or change to another system?

2 Which of four other systems would you prefer if New Zealand votes to change?

If more than 50 per cent vote to keep MMP, the Electoral Commission is required to complete a review and report back to Parliament to makeon any amendments.

If more than 50 per cent vote to change, the incoming Government will decide whether to carry out another referendum, likely to take place at the 2014 election.

Voters will then choose between MMP and whichever system we chooseis chosen as as ourmost favoured.

You can find out which system you're more likely to support by completing a six-question survey that works out the system best reflecting the principles you believe in.

www.referendum.org.nz/tool

Referendum options

Mixed Member Proportional (MMP, current system)

Members of Parliament 120

Electorates 70

Votes 2 (1 party vote, 1 electoral vote)

Countries using MMP 7 including New Zealand, Germany, Hungary, Bolivia

First Past the Post (FPP, used until 1993 election)

Members of Parliament 120

Electorates 120

Votes 1 for an MP in your electorate

Countries using FPP 49 including Canada, Jamaica, United Kingdom

Single Transferable Vote (STV)

Members of Parliament 120

Electorates 24-30, three to seven MPs in each

Votes 1 transferable vote with the ability to rank candidates in order of preference

Countries using STV 2 Republic of Ireland, Malta

Preferential Vote (PV)

Members of Parliament 120

Electorates 120

Voters rank candidates in their electorate in order of preference

Countries using PV 3, Australia, Fiji, Papua New Guinea

Supplementary Member (SM)

Members of Parliament 120

Electorates 90 - the remaining 30 seats are filled by MPs elected from party lists)

Votes 2 (1 to select an electorate MP, 1 for a party vote)

Countries using SM 20+ including Japan, South Korea, Thailand, Russia

See www.elections.org.nz