Post by Admin on Oct 15, 2017 21:23:01 GMT
Can MMP produce a Party-Proportional result?
Often MMP uses a "single-x" ballot with a "single-member" riding just like our current system in Local Candidate election (FPTP). This system produces a largely dis-proportional results, it is what we are trying to fix. MMP then uses the larger multi-member regional ridings to try and bring Proportionality in the end result. MMP tries to correct the dis-proportionality that it has created - I refer to this attempt by MMP as a "artificial" attempt at Party-Proportionality, because MMP creates the dis-proportionality in the first place.
MMP can add seats for a Party, if the Party's Popular Vote is more than the Party's local seats has. However, MMP cannot subtract seats that a Party has with the Local Candidate election. As the Local Candidate election creates this dis-proportionality and a Party could easily have more Local seats than the Party's Popular Vote permits. In Germany this is corrected by simply adding more House Seats (Over-Hang Seats).
With a firm number of MLA seats (87) this becomes much more challenging to have a final result that is Party-Proportional. This is also why with MMP we will need a 50% Local seats and 50% Party seats. There has been talk of 60% Local seats and 40% Party seats, but this will even produce LESS Party-Proportional as the results of the Local election will produce more dis-proportional result, and with LESS Party seats to try and balance it out.
With our current system MMP can only TRY to bring Party-Proportionality to the Legislature with LIMITED SUCCESS!