Election - New Zealand 2008
Hot Topic for July 2008
The 2008 Election
The New Zealand general election will be held on Saturday 8th November 2008. This Hot Topic is a collection of resources and information about the elections. It also takes a look at the change from First Past the Post (FPP) to Mixed Member Proportional (MMP) voting.
MMP vs FPP
The forthcoming election will be the fourth one under the Mixed Member Proportional (MMP) system that New Zealand has used since 1996.
In the First Past the Post (FPP) system operating from 1853 until 1993, each voter had one vote and the candidate who received the most votes in each electorate was the winner. Successful candidates did not need to win an absolute majority (that is, more than 50 percent) of the votes cast. Under FPP, the most popular political party usually won a share of the seats in Parliament larger than its share of the overall votes. This encouraged the formation of strong, single-party governments. Minor parties were often excluded altogether.
A referendum was held in 1992, and 85 percent of respondents voted to change the electoral system, with 70 percent favouring MMP. This was followed by a binding referendum as part of the 1993 election. MMP was 54 percent and FPP 46 percent.
Now, under MMP, every voter has two votes, one for an electoral candidate, and one for a political party. Parliament is currently made up of 62 general and seven Māori electorate seats, plus 51 seats allocated from party lists, giving a total of 120 seats.
Resources on TKI
New Zealand Parliament
The New Zealand Parliament website provides explanations of various aspects of Parliament and the House of Representatives in New Zealand's system of government. It includes descriptions of Constitutional monarchy, members of Parliament, legislature role, representation, taxation and public expenditure in addition to Government activities, functions, and historical background.
http://www.parliament.nz
Elections New Zealand
This is the joint website of the Electoral Commission, Electoral Enrolment Centre, and Chief Electoral Office. It includes information, education, and online services relating to elections in New Zealand. Its section for students has information about the history of the vote and about Youth Parliament. The section for teachers has lesson plans designed to support teaching about the electoral process.
http://www.elections.org.nz/
Elections New Zealand ─ New Zealand's System of Government ─ an overview
This page from the Elections New Zealand website provides an overview of the way New Zealand is governed. Includes links to related resources.
http://www.elections.org.nz/democracy/system_of_government.html
Elections New Zealand ─ How to Enrol
This page has details on the enrolment procedures for the New Zealand parliamentary elections.
http://www.elections.org.nz/voter-enrolment.html
Elections New Zealand ─ How to Vote
This page has general voting information for the New Zealand Parliament electoral system.
http://www.elections.org.nz/votingsub.html
Elections New Zealand ─ Electoral Glossary
This glossary is from the Elections New Zealand website and gives A-Z definitions of terms relating to the New Zealand electoral system. It is easily searchable by keyword or index.
http://www.elections.org.nz/sitehelp/glossary.html
Kate Sheppard
A profile of Kate Sheppard, the leader and main figurehead of the suffragist movement in New Zealand. New Zealand was the first country in the world to grant universal adult suffrage to both men and women. Kate Sheppard was a source of inspiration to suffragists, both in New Zealand and throughout the world. See below for 'Has part' link to related study ideas, questions, and curriculum activities with a level 4-6 focus. http://www.nzedge.com/heroes/sheppard.html
HasPart http://www.nzedge.com/heroes/pdf/katesheppard.pdf PDF requires Acrobat reader Download software to view this file.
Kids Voting
Kids Voting gives students the opportunity to participate in an authentic voting experience designed to raise awareness among young people about New Zealand electoral processes. The voting elections were run in conjunction with the local government elections in 2007 and can be run in conjunction with the parliamentary elections in 2008. The site is designed to fit with year 9 social studies curriculum and provides information for teachers and councils.
http://www.kidsvoting.org.nz/
Monumental Stories
This interactive level 5 social studies resource is intended for years 9─10 teaches students about significant events in New Zealand that have allowed women to play significant roles in New Zealand's development. Includes an interactive timeline, interactive student activities, teachers' guide, landmarks, biographies, and glossary.
http://www.monumentalstories.gen.nz/
Policy.net.nz
This website allows the reader to compare the policies of all the main New Zealand political parties through detailed, straightforward summaries in the words of the political party who developed their policy. Here you can see exactly what these parties are offering New Zealand voters.
http://www.policy.net.nz/
Prime Minister of New Zealand
The official website of the Prime Minister of New Zealand has information about the life and work of the current Prime Minister. It also outlines the role of caucus, the cabinet, and the Prime Minister. There are biographical details of former Prime Ministers, a section for students with frequently asked questions, a facility for asking individual questions, and a quiz.
http://www.primeminister.govt.nz
New Zealand History online: The Road to MMP
In 1993 New Zealanders voted in a referendum to change their voting system from first past the post (FFP) to mixed member proportional representation (MMP).
This site explains why and how this dramatic change to the electoral system came about. It includes images.
http://www.nzhistory.net.nz/politics/fpp-to-mmp
New Zealand History online: Election Days
General elections have always been important public events. This New Zealand History online site looks at the change in the experience of voting and electioneering in the mid 19th century through until today. Includes links in the media gallery to images, videos, and sound items.
http://www.nzhistory.net.nz/politics/election-day
New Zealand History online: The House of Representatives
New Zealand's Parliament is over 150 years old. Learn about it in words, sound clips, video clips, cartoons, postcards, and photographs; or take a virtual tour through Parliament Buildings and the grounds in a series of interactive panoramas.
http://www.nzhistory.net.nz/politics/history-of-parliament/the-house
NCEA Internal Assessment Resource: Pantry or Polling Booth
This assessment material supports internal assessment for New Zealand history achievement standards 2.4, – ‘Examine perspectives and responses of, and demonstrate empathy for, people in an historical setting’. It involves students writing three responses to a letter decrying women's right to vote, and is available in both Word and PDF formats.
http://www.tki.org.nz/r/ncea/hist2_4Bv4_3feb05.doc (Word 162KB)
http://www.tki.org.nz/r/ncea/hist2_4Bv4_3feb05.pdf (PDF 39KB)
SSOL: Election 2002: Exercising Democracy
In this level 3 unit, intended for years 5–6, students study features of an MMP system of government and participate in an electoral process by writing a political statement.
http://www.tki.org.nz/r/socialscience/curriculum/SSOL/election/index_e.php
SSOL: On the Democracy Road
This ESOL and social studies unit is intended for year 9–10 students at level 4. Students build English language skills and social studies concepts, while studying New Zealand government. The focus is on how the New Zealand Government works, the main parties, how laws are made, and how to vote.
http://www.tki.org.nz/r/esol/esolonline/secondary_mainstream/classroom/units/democracy/home_e.php
SSOL: Sunshine Sisters
In this level 5 unit, intended for year 9, students examine relationships between people in 19th century New Zealand and learn how the enfranchisement of New Zealand women in 1893 changed the relationships between men and women in New Zealand and how the relationships between men and women in New Zealand continue to be influenced by the winning of the vote for women in 1893.
http://www.tki.org.nz/r/socialscience/curriculum/SSOL/sunshine/index_e.php
SSOL: Tall Poppies: A Look at Leadership
This level 3 unit is intended for years 4–6. It is an Internet- focused unit that examines how people become leaders of groups, and looks at how they exercise that leadership.
http://www.tki.org.nz/r/socialscience/curriculum/SSOL/tall_poppies/index_e.php
New Zealand news links:
New Zealand Herald
http://www.nzherald.co.nz
Stuff
http://www.stuff.co.nz
TVNZ News
hhttp://tvnz.co.nz/view/news_index_skin/news_index_group
Te Karere Ipurangi Māori News Online
http://maorinews.com/karere/
Radio New Zealand
http://www.radionz.co.nz/
Newspapers in Education
http://www.newszone.co.nz/
Please note: These links were valid when this page was posted. However the Web is very volatile, and TKI has no control over outside websites. Please let us know if you find anything inappropriate, if you find a broken link, or if you have an update for a link by emailing links@tki.org.nz. Te Kete Ipurangi recommends that teachers view all websites we link to before using them with students.
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