新西兰英语 520 Election Party Lists

 　　If you are eligible¹ to vote on Saturday, you will have a list of candidates. Each party lists their candidates in order, from number 1 to 65 or less. You do not vote for these candidates. You vote for a candidate in your electorate² and you also vote for a party. The party uses these lists.

　　Under MMP, if a small party gets 5% of the party vote, they get 5% of the MPs. There are 120 MPs so 5% is 6 MPs. These would be number 1 to 6 from their list. If they get less than 5%, they get no MPs. However, if a candidate from a small party wins an electorate seat, the party vote is also counted, even if it is less than 5%. The party gets that percentage of MPs in Parliament. For example if ACT wins an electorate seat but has only 1% of the party vote, ACT will get only that one MP in Parliament.

　　There are 70 electorates³ in New Zealand. 70 people are elected to Parliament this way. The other 50 seats come from the party lists, depending on the party vote. If one party wins 45 electorate seats but has 51% of the party vote, that party gets another 16 MPs from the list.

　　Questions

　　1.Usually the party chooses the candidates on their lists and also decides what order to place them in e.g. first, second, third etc. Do you think the party should choose?

　　2.Some candidates do not win their electorate seat but they are high on the party list so they become an MP. Do you think this is fair?

　　3.The Prime Minister is number 1 on the National Party list but he is also an electorate candidate. Do you think a Prime Minister should also have the responsibility of an electorate?

　　4.Do you think list MPs should be paid the same as electorate MPs?

1 eligible   

adj.有条件被选中的；(尤指婚姻等)合适(意)的

参考例句：

• He is an eligible young man.他是一个合格的年轻人。
• Helen married an eligible bachelor.海伦嫁给了一个中意的单身汉。

2 electorate   

n.全体选民；选区

参考例句：

• The government was responsible to the electorate.政府对全体选民负责。
• He has the backing of almost a quarter of the electorate.他得到了几乎1/4选民的支持。

3 electorates   

全体选民( electorate的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The assembly's 15 seats have electorates as small as 190. 大会的15个议席只有很少的190选民参加。
• Restricting hedge funds is something they can sell to their electorates. 限制对冲基金是他们能够向选民兜售的东西。