The New Zealand Initiative has urged reforms to strengthen the country’s democratic framework, including a four-year parliamentary term and a larger Parliament.
The report, assessing 30 years of MMP, concludes that governments face “too little time” to plan and deliver substantial policy before the next election cycle begins.
The report argues that the current three-year parliamentary term is too short for governments to develop and deliver effective long-term policy. Parliament is also described as “about 30 per cent smaller than international benchmarks suggest it should be.” at 120 members.
“MMP has delivered fairer and more representative parliaments, but it’s time for an upgrade,” said report author Nick Clark.
“By the time a government finds its feet and starts implementing policy, it is already thinking about the next election.”
The report proposes extending the parliamentary term to four years, increasing Parliament to 170 MPs, and reducing Cabinet size from 20 to 15 ministers to streamline decision-making. It also recommends abolishing overhang seats and lowering the party-vote threshold to between 3.5 and 4 per cent.
Clark noted that over 600,000 special votes in the 2023 election took three weeks to count, delaying government formation and “undermining public confidence.”
The proposals focus on responsible governance and long-term policy planning. A longer term would reduce election-cycle short-termism, while more MPs could enhance representation and scrutiny.