Last Saturday, New Zealand witnessed one of the most fascinating elections in recent history.
No decisive winner. No outright defeat. And a country left waiting. With special votes still to be counted, we're left wondering whether the current coalition will return or whether Parliament will be left without a clear governing majority.
And if politicians can't form a government, we could find ourselves back at the polling booths.
The biggest loser in that scenario? The New Zealand taxpayer.
One of the most fascinating outcomes was National winning 42 electorates despite securing just 29.21% of the party vote.
On the preliminary results, every National MP entering Parliament has won an electorate.
Not one list MP.
Think about that.
For years, senior political figures have been able to lose their electorates, or avoid contesting one altogether, and still return to Parliament through favourable positions on their party lists. This election has challenged that arrangement. And I'm all for it.
When an MP wins an electorate, they take on a particular responsibility. They have people to answer to.
Sitting down with MPs like Carlos Cheung, Tim van de Molen, Laura McClure and Simon Court, hearing about the work they do representing their communities showed me it’s a different kind of accountability from that of a senior list MP whose position depends primarily on their party's electoral performance.
Now, list MPs have an important role under MMP. But there's something valuable about representatives having to personally win the confidence of a community. Of course, there's a catch.
National's electorate success has produced an overhang, provisionally expanding Parliament to 131 MPs. That's 11 additional seats, with additional costs for taxpayers. So the question becomes: How do we strengthen local representation without unnecessarily expanding Parliament?
Nearly one million enrolled New Zealanders didn't vote. At a time when people are frustrated with the cost of living, political leadership and the direction of our country, an extraordinary number didn't exercise their democratic right.
We cannot spend three years complaining about politicians, demanding accountability and calling for change, only to disengage when we have an opportunity to participate. And participation doesn't end at the ballot box.
It means asking questions, challenging bad policy, making submissions, attending public meetings and speaking out when something isn't right.
Democracy requires participation, not spectators.
Whatever happens over the coming weeks, this election should remind us that representative democracy comes with responsibilities on both sides.
Politicians must answer to the people. And the people must be willing to hold them accountable.
At PILLAR, our commitment remains unchanged. We'll continue challenging government overreach, defending individual liberties and holding political leaders accountable, regardless of which party occupies the Beehive.
Because governments come and go.
Our freedoms can’t depend on who holds the pen!
