A petition is currently circulating asking that an appropriate degree and form of proportional representation be introduced into our electoral system. This subject has been in discussion now since 1974 when a parliamentary select committee was set up to study electoral reform. The results of this committee were amendments to the Electoral Act in 1974 and 1975 such as lowering the voting age to 18. However, the electoral system itself was not changed.

In short, proportional representation means that the percentage of the vote that each party receives determines its percentage of the seats in parliament. This system results in everybody's vote being of equal weight and being counted in the election of an M.P. unless the party the person votes for receives so few votes as to be ineligible to a seat. It metes out precise justice for all parliamentary parties, is totally democratic and ensures that the political views of nearly all are presented in parliament.

In contrast, the present electoral system involving the first past the post method of election results in the votes of those who do not support the "winner" in each Government instead of a National one; this in 1977? Clearly change is needed a large number of safe party seats so that the making and unmaking of Governments comes to rest in the hands of an accidentally privileged minority of electors—those who live in marginal electorates.

In each election the whim of about 2% of floating voters in half a dozen or so of the marginal electorates determine which of National or Labour will be the next Government. Even in the "landslide" electorates had voted Labour instead of National, there would have been a Labour Government instead of a National one? Western Hutt 55, Palmerston North 71, Hastings 246, Lyttelton 500, Dunedin North 485, Wellington Central 539, Eden 639, Gisborne 661, Manurewa 680, Rangiora 691, Waitemata 694, Wairarapa 735; a total of 5996. For the usual close election this number is usually around 2000.

The present system acts as a dissentive for people to vote for third parties thereby strengthening the two party confrontation system, with, upon each being elected, the undoing of much of what the other has started.

A table of general election results reveals the discrepancies between the percentage of votes and percentage of seats that N.Z. parties have received under the present system. This was particularly great in 1954, 1966, 1972 and of course 1975. The 1954 result demonstrates that under the present system it is possible for a party to gain more votes than the other yet end up with fewer seats. In 1966 the views of 174,000 people had only one representative in parliament. In 1975 the views of 200,000 people had no representative at all.

It is clear that the present system results in minority views being under represented or not represented at all, so that one of the functions of parliamentary democracy as the body which scrutinizes the conduct of the executive, asks questions, expresses doubts and acts as a forum and focus for public criticism and debate, is defeated.