Bennett DavidHon DAVID BENNETT (National—Hamilton East): Thank you Madam Chair. I'd just like to follow on from that very good last speech that talked about the retrospectivity of this bill and also the nature of politics in the commencement date is so crucial because politicians come in and the public need to have the belief that politicians are working under a mandate and not a mandate that changes once they get into Parliament. I think that was a very good point that Chris Bishop made about giving a commencement date that looked at the next election so that the people do have that respect for the system and the mandate that is there.I also think the commencement date's very important when we look at one of the arguments put forward by Minister Andrew Little in his debate this afternoon. On numerous occasions the Minister has said in regard to the Northland by-election for example that it was the expression of the will of the electorate that there was a change in the proportionality of this Parliament. He's basically saying that a list MP is different from an electorate MP.One of the fundamental parts of MMP is that all MPs in this room are the same whether they are list or electorate and if we go ahead with this bill on this commencement date we actually breach that fundamental part of the MMP system. A list MP will not be seen now as being of the same value as an electorate MP because under the Minister's approach where it's the expression of the interest of the electorate then an electorate MP is actually in a higher position than a list MP because an electorate MP can win a seat and come into this House and change the proportions of the Parliament. But a list MP does not have that ability and I would love for the Minister to explain his rationale in regard to list and electorate MPs because the commencement date is very important—CHAIRPERSON (Poto Williams): Can I just remind the member that saying commencement" does not actually mean you are arguing that particular point. Hon DAVID BENNETT: No and the reason the commencement date is so important is because that fundamental principle of MMP is going as soon as this bill is passed because if we follow the Minister's argument then under MMP list and constituent MPs are different. So as soon as we approve this commencement date we breach the fundamental principle of MMP which is that both MPs are the same and should be treated the same. That is why the commencement date is so vital. Also the commencement date is vital because we also could have the opportunity of having a referendum as Nick Smith has put forward in his amendment to this clause and that would be a very satisfactory result for this Parliament. Something that New Zealand First members have continually argued for is to have referenda and so that amendment to the commencement date would also be a vital aspect of any debate. Another important part of the commencement date is that we actually need to give the New Zealand First members some time. There is a 100 percent chance that a New Zealand First member in three years will leave their party—it has always happened. If the commencement date had a period of time in there it would give many New Zealand First members the chance to actually look at their status in this Parliament—CHAIRPERSON (Poto Williams): How is this relevant? Hon DAVID BENNETT: —because—CHAIRPERSON (Poto Williams): How is this relevant? Hon DAVID BENNETT: Well because the New Zealand First members will be voting on this commencement date very soon. It is one thing that they have always done and so it is important for them.CHAIRPERSON (Poto Williams): I am looking for some relevance to the commencement date please. Hon DAVID BENNETT: Well if we had a time frame in there that gave them a bit more time to think about their options that may actually be important for them and their personal position. So the commencement date is vital because if we pass the commencement date as it stands in this bill we are effectively devaluing list MPs and that changes the whole proportion of MMP that was voted on when the public voted MMP in as the governance form for this country. So to have a commencement date within the term would actually be to the detriment of all New Zealanders that have voted for a political system like we have now. We need a commencement date that is in the middle of a term that reflects an election period. So having that commencement date at the next election would actually guarantee that New Zealanders had the ability to actually confirm what they wanted under MMP."