What, then can Britain learn from the experiences of New Zealand? The Independent Commission on the Voting System, headed by Lord Jenkins, examined New Zealand in the course of its deliberations and, while it did not suggest solutions, it did identify problems that would need to be addressed. The two factors identified as having negative consequences are the increase in the size of the New Zealand Parliament that resulted from electoral reform and the failure of the new system to reduce the inter-party point scoring common to First Past the Post.
Their view on the first of these points is unequivocal, with the Jenkins Report stating that Britain “should avoid any solution which involves even a small increase in the size of the House of Commons.” (Jenkins et al, 1999:21) In relative terms, the increase of seats in New Zealand from 99 to 120, would in Westminster, result in a Parliament already consisting of 1794, increasing to 2175. This is obviously impractical and would tend to suggest that the New Zealand model would only be effective in countries of a comparable size.
As to the second point, the Report suggests that this problem was the result of the governing parties failing to recognise fully and adapt to the implications of the new system and continuing to govern in a manner that had been effective if not popular under the previous system. Again it is possible that size is the issue here, as New Zealand has fewer significant regions than larger countries which results in fewer levels of government, meaning that there are not so many checks and balances on the legislature as there would be in Britain.
It does, however, also identify some positive points. The increase in minority representation is singled out as a major feature that had definitely contributed to increased democracy and one that would be important in Britain, as it would aid the development of multiculturalism in both politics and society. This is an issue that is of great importance in the current political system. The greater representation of ethnic minorities and women, etc. means that these groups feel that they are part of the decision making process which then leads to a greater likelihood of voting among these groups.
Another point singled out, as highly positive, was the split in party affiliation between the votes, with 37% of New Zealand voters choosing local members from one party but using their list vote for another. This demonstrated a greater understanding of the democratic possibilities of a mixed system than had been demonstrated in other countries, most specifically Germany. The education campaign that was utilised in New Zealand can be adopted by other countries wishing to carry out similar reform, as even though it does not guarantee that all voters do understand the system, it had been proved to be effective in developing understanding.