Editorial: Craig's party more worthy

Conservative Party leader Colin Craig. Photo / George Novak

You don't have to be a Conservative voter - big or little c - to sympathise with Colin Craig.

His party gained 4.1 per cent of the vote at this year's general election - a relatively strong mandate to take part in governing our country, but still shy of the 5 per cent threshhold required to enter Parliament without an electorate seat.

Those are the rules as they stand - though the Electoral Commission has recommended lowering the threshhold to 4 per cent - so you could argue a fair result, but when you look at Act and United Future's futures, questions are raised.

Those parties, both set to play roles as support partners for the National Government, gained 0.69 and 0.22 per cent respectively in the party vote. (United Future received about half the support the Aotearoa Legalise Cannabis Party did, and only 0.01 per cent more than the Ban 1080 Party).

Both are miles behind the Conservatives in terms of public support.

But both have seats - due in no small part to National taking a back seat in those electorate races and endorsing Act's David Seymour in Epsom and United Future's Peter Dunne in Ohariu.

It's an open and transparent manipulation of the MMP system to ensure support - but it's what that system allows.

That doesn't mean we have to like it, and whether or not you think Colin Craig is a credible politician (and I'm glad we won't be facing needless binding referendums), he deserves better than sitting out the next three years while those less deserving sit at the top table.

• Kim Gillespie is the editor of the Rotorua Daily Post.