Published in the NZ Herald:
V.M. Ferguson, (letters, 6 January) mentions Ireland’s successful citizens’ assemblies; they helped to resolve the abortion question, and called for referendums to be multi-optional.
In 1894, New Zealand was of course the world’s first country to have a multi-option referendum, while In 1197, China used multi-option voting in governance: when debating war or peace with Mongolia, they voted 5:46:33 in a three-option ballot on ‘attack', ‘defend' or 'alternate between the two'.
Today, in the USA, with FPTP elections, a two-party structure, and majority voting, Donald Trump is only the denouement of its binary politics.
It would be a tremendous fillip if New Zealand (and/or Ireland), both with PR, were to replace the 2,500-year-old binary vote with the preferential points system for decision-making. Developed in 1770 by Jean-Charles de Borda, at best, from say six options (in a six-party parliament), today’s Modified Borda Count MBC can identify the option with the highest average preference. The system is literally inclusive, very accurate; and non-majoritarian, so could be the basis of an all-party, power-sharing governance.
In these days of Covid and Climate Change, such cooperation is essential, if not existential. It’s time for a citizens’ assembly on governance.