The Legal Status of Political Parties Under MMP

Abstract

This article discusses a specific, and relatively narrow, issue: Whether the move to a mixed member proportional voting system caused a change in the legal status accorded to New Zealand's political parties. It is argued that there is less of a cause-and-effect relationship between these two developments than might be thought. The fact that the same legal developments have occurred in the United Kingdom and Canada suggests that there are dynamics at play, aside from the nature of the voting system, that determine the form of legal controls placed on political parties. The article concludes with some tentative speculation as to what might explain the change in regulatory approach that has taken place in the last two decades.