Steve Baron
A Whanganui political columnist says politcal parties are more interested in holding onto power than enacting the best policies.
Steve Baron makes the assertion in his new book, New Zealand's Democratic Deficit, which is hot off the presses.
Mr Baron argues that a serious democratic deficit exists in New Zealand.
He says that political leaders and political parties are only interested in power so they can force through their own political agendas, often against the will of a majority of New Zealanders.
"That is why we need more checks and balances in our political system," Mr Baron says.
He says that the biggest myth perpetuated in New Zealand politics is that Parliament is sovereign and that the government has a mandate to govern.
"To me this is political hubris at its extreme. How quick politicians are to forget that even though they may have won the election, they did so in most instances with only minority support from the electorate.
"The last time a government had a majority of more than fifty percent of the vote was in Sidney Holland's National Party government in 1951 when it was elected with fifty-four percent of the vote."
"The conclusion I came to after years of political involvement at many levels, is that all political parties have some good policies, and those who seek to represent their parties in Parliament usually have good intentions.
"The problem is that when we elect a government it is an 'all or nothing' process and rarely is there a compromise - although there have been small improvements in this aspect since the introduction of the MMP voting system in 1996." says Mr Baron.
British Political Science Professor, Matt Qvortrup, who wrote a forward for the book says: "Steve Baron has a thorough knowledge of the issue and, to speak in plain English, he knows his stuff. But this book is not merely erudite and well-informed, it is also important. Increasingly there is a gap between the people and their representatives."
The book has a special focus and in-depth discussion on the Swiss system of direct democracy which includes citizens' initiated veto and recall referendums.
Mr Baron holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics and Political Science from the University of Waikato and an Honours degree in Political Science from Victoria University of Wellington.
He is also the Founder of Better Democracy New Zealand, a political lobby group which has campaigned for many years to make referendums binding on the government. Mr Baron's first book, co-edited with author and publisher, Jonathan Eisen, People Power, was published in 2004.
The book can be downloaded as a digital edition through Amazon.com