MMP defector MP - info

[Steve Eppley]

Tom R wrote:
>>Hi Marcus. I've got a request for information for you ... I
>>recently read in the newspaper here that there's some
>>controversy in NZ because an MP elected for one party has
>>defected to another. It's apparently particularly controversial
>>because she was elected for a list seat, 
[snip]

Donald D replied:
>      If there has been any exchange of views by anyone I
> would like to be privy to them. I am interested in that aspect
> of MMP.

The issue also applies to the Closed Party List form of PR, and
to any system where the voters vote for parties instead of
people.

One might also raise the issue even in systems where voters 
vote for people, since the candidates' party affiliations are 
signals used by many voters in deciding how to vote.  In a 
sense, the legislator has committed something akin to electoral 
fraud.

Solutions are straightforward, if they're embedded in the 
constitution.  For example, a majority or supermajority of a 
party's legislators could be given power to expel a legislator 
who quits that party if s/he was a member of it when elected.  
For another example, the expulsion could be automatic.

The only problem with these "solutions" is that if they were 
part of the system, the legislator would simply avoid officially 
changing his/her party, and would merely informally make it 
clear to his/her new party that s/he is going to vote with them 
most of the time.

The only real solution, I think, is to allow the voters to vote
frequently.  Then if they no longer prefer to be represented by
the turncoat they can change their votes. This solution would
hopefully be part of an electoral system with low campaign
costs, such as giving free t.v. and radio time to qualified
candidates; otherwise the candidates' need for campaign money
would corrupt policies even more than now, and rich parties
would have an even larger advantage than now. 

---Steve     (Steve Eppley    seppley at alumni.caltech.edu)