trish forsman

I invite right bloc voters to examine what actually happened here, and think about the importance of a functional democracy in which people have confidence, over a temporary win for "my team"... From the New Zealand Law Society's submission on the Electoral Amendment Bill — 11 September 2025. Key excerpts, lightly abridged: ────────── 𝗦𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗼𝘂𝘀 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗿𝗻𝘀 (§𝟮.𝟭) The Law Society has serious concerns about the proposed electoral amendments. Disenfranchisement — arising from the proposed close of registration 13 days ahead of election day, and the changes to prisoner voting — is the first of them. The amendments in clauses 4 and 10–12 have the potential to significantly reduce voter participation, effective representation, and consequently public trust and confidence in the election process. That carries collateral risks of undermining democracy and the moral authority of elected governments. Had the 13-day registration rule applied at the 2023 election, it would have affected over 230,000 special voters. ────────── 𝗡𝗼 𝗽𝘂𝗯𝗹𝗶𝗰 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘀𝘂𝗹𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 (§𝟮.𝟮) Despite proposing changes with potentially significant democratic, social and political impacts, there was no public consultation on the design and drafting of these proposals. Earlier reviews that did consult never even considered closing enrolment so far ahead of election day. Māori, Pasifika, Asian and young voters are the most likely to be disproportionately affected — and the shortcomings in consultation, particularly with Māori, fail both policymaking best practice and the Crown's Te Tiriti o Waitangi obligations. ────────── 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗴𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝗮𝗴𝗮𝗶𝗻𝘀𝘁 𝗼𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹𝘀' 𝗮𝗱𝘃𝗶𝗰𝗲 (§𝟮.𝟯) Officials identified that alternatives like automatic enrolment updates deliver greater benefits while mitigating the harm to participation — yet this proposal was progressed against their advice, with no evidence it is needed for, or will deliver, a faster vote count. It is rare for the special vote count to affect government formation in New Zealand. The changes appear harmful to democratic participation, without any appropriate or requisite corresponding gain. ────────── 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝗼𝘁𝘁𝗼𝗺 𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲 — 𝗰𝗹𝗼𝘀𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗿𝗲𝗴𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 (§𝟯.𝟴–𝟯.𝟭𝟬) No pressing need exists to deliver final results earlier; government formation does not require it in most cases, and New Zealand's experience matches other countries. An early close of registration is unnecessary given its likely disenfranchising effect. Clause 4(2) and the new definition of "close of registration" should not proceed. ────────── 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝗼𝘁𝘁𝗼𝗺 𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲 — 𝗽𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗼𝗻𝗲𝗿 𝘃𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 (§𝟰.𝟮𝟬–𝟰.𝟮𝟭) The available evidence does not demonstrably justify the restriction. The proposed ban creates inconsistencies and arbitrary outcomes, contravenes domestic and international norms, and is an acknowledged breach of the Treaty. The Law Society opposes clause 10(2) and new section 86B — and recommends they not proceed. ────────── 𝗔𝗻𝗱 𝗣𝗮𝗿𝗹𝗶𝗮𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗽𝗮𝘀𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝗶𝘁 𝗮𝗻𝘆𝘄𝗮𝘆. Third reading, 16 December 2025 — 68 votes to 54, coalition parties only. Not one opposition vote. The second reading and committee stages had been rammed through under urgency the week before. New Zealand has a long-held convention — invoked by both major parties — that the rules of our democracy are changed only with broad cross-party support. It is convention, not law; nothing forces a government to honour it. Most do, because the alternative is exactly this: one side of the House rewriting the rules everyone must play by — against the advice of its own officials, against its own Attorney-General's Bill of Rights report, and against more than 80 percent of the 2,708 people and organisations who made submissions. Conventions like this are not enforced by courts. They are held up by decency — by governments deciding that public confidence in the system matters more than a win for "my team". This one decided otherwise. ────────── Sources: NZ Law Society, submission on the Electoral Amendment Bill (11 Sep 2025) lawsociety.org.nz/assets/Law… Justice Committee report on the Electoral Amendment Bill (2,708 submissions; recommendation by majority; >80% of submitters opposed) selectcommittees.parliament.… RNZ, "Electoral Amendment Bill passes its third reading in Parliament" (17 Dec 2025) rnz.co.nz/news/politics/5820… All links verified live, 15 November 2026.