Parliamentarians' perspectives on proportional representation: Electoral system change in New Zealand

In 1996 New Zealand elected its first Parliament by proportional representation, following a long experience of governments elected according to First-Past-the-Post rules. There had been extensive debate about the likely consequences of the new system-known as 'MMP'(Mixed Member Proportional) - for New Zealand government, politics, and policy-making. This article analyses the experiences and impressions of New Zealand's parliamentarians - following the 1996 and 1999 MMP elections and the formation of two distinctly different coalition governments - based on extensive interviews with 10 1 of New Zealand's 120 Members of Parliament.