John Key, NZ Police and the System

Yes Prime Minister, a comedy series of years ago being replayed today by John Key, John Banks and the NZ Police. Let's set the scene. Stupid Prime Minister decides to have a drink and chat in a cafe, public place, with a member of another political party to help stitch up the Epsom electorate for Act. Conversation gets taped, poor John and John complain. Prime Minister complains to NZ Police, like fools they take him seriously and start an investigation. It makes the NZ Police look stupid and gives John and John more media coverage and lets face it John Key is the media pony, every opportunity over the last 3 years and more he has been there with his face in the camera even if he has nothing of any use to add to whatever situation is being reported. So here is the Prime Minister in essence endorsing another candidate against his own. Paul Goldsmith is in fact doing an excellent job in Epsom and leading the polls. The system needs to be changed so that it would be illegal for political parties to adopt this type of action before and election. It is in essence denying the voters of Epsom with a proper choice. If they are National supporters they now must decide if they should vote for their National Party candidate or go along with the National Party Prime Minister and stitch up Parliament to suit the cosy relationship between National and Act. Every political party should by law be made to stand a candidate in every electorate and failure to do that should mean that they cannot claim to be a political party but just a group of independent candidates. Endorsing a candidate of a political party other than your own should also be illegal. The coalition of like minded parties should only be done after the election. In fact MMP does not reflect the will of the voting public. If it did not only parliament but cabinet also would be made up proportionally to reflect the result of the election. That would force parliamentarians to work together across the political spectrum. In addition candidates should have to decide if they want to run in an electorate or be on the list, not both. The way MP's rig the current system ensures that those at the top of the list end up back in Parliament even if their electorate voted them out. Finally only electorate MP's should be allowed to be in cabinet, no list MP should be allowed to have a cabinet position since they are only in Parliament as a result of the party vote and have not been selected to represent an electorate by the voters. Let's do it right, give both Johns, Key and Banks a Dear John!