Forum at Te Papa: Voting System Referendum

Soundings Theatre, Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa, Wednesday 16 November 5-6pm

Te Papa is holding a Forum on the Referendum, which is taking place at the same time as the 2011 General Election.

The Referendum will give you the chance to have your say on the voting system you would like to use to elect New Zealand Parliaments in the future.

Te Papa has invited Nigel Roberts to speak on the Referendum. Well known as an expert in government and political studies, Nigel has been tasked by the Electoral Commission to help New Zealanders understand the Referendum.

The forum will be hosted by Claudia Orange. Members of the panel are:

• Kate Stone, Assistant Lecturer at VUW’s Faculty of Law

• Maria Bargh a senior lecturer in Maori Studies who also lectures in political Studies

• Diane White, a Project Manager for the Sustainable Future Institute, a non- partisan think tank contributing to the public good through research and policy analysis.

The Forum discussion will be recorded by Radio New Zealand.

Despite a great deal of publicity to alert the public to the choice they will be asked to make, many voters are likely to be unsure of how to vote in the Referendum.

You will be asked two questions:

• The first asks whether you want to keep MMP (the voting system we use now) or whether you want to change to another voting system.

• The second question asks which of four other voting systems you would choose if New Zealand decides to change from MMP.

And so, if you are still unsure of how to decide, come to Te Papa on 16 November for the Forum which starts at 5pm in Soundings Theatre.