Stats NZ chief executive Colin Lynch wrote to Wilson in late March suggesting the wording has the potential “to introduce bias”, as the term “reform” might lead people to vote a certain way.
He said it may “suggest improvement or imply the change from the status quo is desirable” and “this could influence respondents toward answering ‘yes’, as agreement may be perceived as supporting a positive action”.
Stats NZ suggested the wording be altered to: “Should the House of Representatives reduce the number of Members of Parliament from 120 to 65?”
The agency said it provided technical advice, at the request of the clerk, and did not take a position on the subject matter of citizen-initiated referenda.
Electoral Commission chief executive Karl Le Quesne said the commission did not have any comment on the wording of the question.
The Ministry of Justice’s general manager of civil and constitutional policy, Kathy Brightwell, told the clerk it appreciated the opportunity to submit but had no comment to make.
Ministry of Māori Development Te Puni Kōkiri said its response was limited to how the proposed wording aligned with the Citizens Initiated Referenda Act and “its potential impact on Māori as citizens” and the agency has no further comment.
A citizens-initiated referendum needs to have signatures from at least 10% of enrolled voters – about 400,000 New Zealanders.
Tamaki said he would “mobilise the troops” to gather signatures at a public stand on Auckland’s Queen St on Anzac Day.
Tamaki ran for Parliament in the 2023 election as the leader of the Freedoms NZ umbrella party, which brought together Vision, New Nation, and the Outdoors and Freedom party.
Azaria Howell is a multimedia reporter working from Parliament’s press gallery. She joined NZME in 2022 and became a Newstalk ZB political reporter in late 2024, with a keen interest in public service agency reform and government spending.
