'A big no' - How was NZ's first MMP election received? | 1News Archives

In 1996, New Zealand was about to go into its first MMP general election, the biggest change in the electoral system since women gained the vote in 1893.

It marked the start of a new era in politics, one which required two votes, not one – and not everyone was chuffed about it.

The Electoral Commission was on a mission to educate the public on the new voting system with a public education campaign.

So the catchphrase “MMP: It takes just two ticks” was blasted onto television sets around the country. The ads featured the Footrot Flats' Kiwiana icons, Wal’, Dog and the rest of the Footrot Flats gang.

But a year on from the election, MMP still had its critics, which Paul Holmes discovered on the streets of Auckland.

00:00 Educating the public - 'It takes just two ticks'
00:24 Rocky road to the ballot box
00:47 Educating the public on the party vote
01:10 The first MMP Government
02:00 MMP Ad - on two ways a party gets into parliament
02:19 Paul Holmes: A year on is MMP working?

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