According to Kerry Prendergast, STV may cost her election as mayor of Wellington, and therefore it is undemocratic. Good doublethink there Kerry.
STV’s other name is “Instant Run-off” – what it gives is the answer if there had been an election just between Celia Wade-Brown and Prendergast. Yes that means that people’s third preferences count against Kerry’s first preferences, but that’s only because those third preferences still weren’t for Prendergast – they didn’t want her.
Indeed STV is much more democratic, as people are free to vote for whomever they like, rather than having to coalesce about one “anti” candidate, knowing that their third or fourth preferences will still keep out the person they really didn’t want. The winner will be the one who more than 50% of people were prepared to back, not someone who 40% liked but 60% hated.
Prendergast has also been saying that she’s been hurt because she’s the only candidate on the right, and there were lots on the left (perhaps this shows where the preponderance of new talent and ideas are?). Usually it’s considered a good thing to be the only one in a discernable role – there’s no vote splitting – but Kerry’s desperate for excuses…
[UPDATE: Prendergast really doesn’t get it – Celia is Mayor!]
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In other news, ACT are still busy infighting. “We don’t have caucus rankings” – just the order of the seats, and you’re last…
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