7. Electoral (Integrity) Amendment Bill—StatementsHon Dr NICK SMITH (National—Nelson) to the Minister of JusticeElectoral (Integrity) Amendment Bill—Statements7. Hon Dr NICK SMITH (National—Nelson) to the Minister of Justice: Does he agree with the reported statement by Rt Hon Winston Peters yesterday on the Electoral (Integrity) Amendment Bill that if MPs were allowed to party-hop that would destroy the democratic fundamentals of society and his previous statement that Members of Parliament have to be free to follow their conscience. They were elected to represent their constituents not to swear an oath of blind allegiance to a political party"?Hon ANDREW LITTLE (Minister of Justice): Yes and yes because the Electoral (Integrity) Amendment Bill will maintain the principle that it is voters who decide the make-up of Parliament and it does not compromise an MP's obligation to represent their constituents.Hon Dr Nick Smith: How can the statement be true that if MPs were allowed to party hop it would destroy the democratic fundamentals of society when the New Zealand Labour Party was founded by members changing party midway through our 19th Parliament and the New Zealand National Party was founded by members changing party midway through our 26th Parliament and when these two parties have actually been fundamental to our democracy and society's success over the past 80 years?Hon ANDREW LITTLE: This Government is very firmly placed in the 21st century and what is needed for good governance of the country today and acts consistently with the fundamental principle of MMP which it is that the electorate decides the make-up of Parliament not individual MPs.Hon Dr Nick Smith: How can the statement be true that if MPs were allowed to party hop it would destroy the democratic foundations of society when that has been the law since 2005 and there have been minimal changes in party affiliation since then and absolutely no evidence of our democracy being destroyed?Hon ANDREW LITTLE: The objective of the Electoral (Integrity) Amendment Bill is to affirm the fundamental principle of MMP which is that the proportionality of party representation in Parliament is fundamental it's a decision of the electorate and it should not be interfered with by individual decisions of individual MPs.Hon Dr Nick Smith: How can the statement be true that if MPs were allowed to party hop it would destroy the democratic fundamentals of society when the Rt Hon Winston Churchill is recognised as one of the greatest parliamentarians of modern times but whom party hopped twice including over the policy of appeasement towards Nazi Germany?Hon ANDREW LITTLE: We are genuinely entering the realms of absurdity when the fundamental principle of MMP is somehow now being sort of compared to the actions of the Rt Hon Winston Churchill—a totally different set of constitutional arrangements and a totally different situation. I go back to the basic principle of the Electoral (Integrity) Amendment Bill which is that it is the role of the electorate of voters to make the decision on the make-up of Parliament rather than individual MPs arrogating to themselves the pious privilege of deciding what parties should be represented by what numbers in Parliament. Hon Dr Nick Smith: Does he agree that the democratic fundamentals of society would be destroyed if MPs were allowed to party hop and if so where is the evidence of democracy being destroyed when Rod Donald and Jeanette Fitzsimons party hopped from the Alliance Party to the Green Party in 1998?Hon ANDREW LITTLE: The basic principle of MMP is that it is for the electorate to decide the share of each party's vote in Parliament. That is why it is called mixed member proportional representation. It is diametrically opposed to that principle to allow individuals MPs on a whim to decide they're no longer part of the party under whose banner they entered Parliament therefore destroying proportionality of party representation therefore undermining that principle of MMP. That is what the Electoral (Integrity) Amendment Bill seeks to affirm.Rt Hon Winston Peters: If democratic destruction is what's at issue here and it is too collective with the formation of parties is it not a fact that the ROC Party Māori Party Mana Wahine Mauri Pacific United Party and the United Future party all went down by their association with National?SPEAKER: No responsibility.Hon Dr Nick Smith: Does he agree with today's statement by Dr Bryce Edwards of Victoria University that the bill itself is bad enough for democracy but the process surrounding the bill has also been a blow against democracy especially with the Green Party misleading the public on their crucial U-turn in supporting the legislation?Hon ANDREW LITTLE: No."