Media release: New Zealand needs four-year terms and 50 more MPs, new report argues
Wellington (Wednesday, 29 October 2025) - New Zealand's three-year parliamentary term is too short for effective government and the country needs more MPs to keep politicians accessible to voters, according to new research examining 30 years of MMP in New Zealand.
“MMP has delivered fairer and more representative parliaments, but it’s time for an upgrade,” says Nick Clark, Senior Fellow at The New Zealand Initiative and author of the report.
“By the time a government finds its feet and starts implementing policy, it is already thinking about the next election,” Clark says. “A four-year term would give governments time to develop coherent long-term policies.”
The research also reveals New Zealand’s Parliament is undersized. At 120 MPs, it is about 30 percent smaller than international benchmarks suggest it should be.
His report, MMP After 30 Years: Time for Electoral Reform?, examines constitutional issues, MMP design features, and voting procedures, drawing on New Zealand and international experience.
The report's recommendations are bold:
- Extend the parliamentary term to four years with stronger select committees to maintain accountability, increase Parliament from 120 to 170 MPs and cut the Cabinet from 20 to 15 ministers.
- The report also tackles technical fixes. It proposes abolishing overhang seats – a problem that recently inflated Germany’s parliament to 736 members and lowering the party vote threshold to 3.5-4%.
The 2023 election exposed serious problems in the system. More than 600,000 special votes took three weeks to count, delaying government formation and undermining public confidence. Clark’s reforms would prevent similar delays.
Parliament is already considering some changes, with Bills before the House to enable a four-year term and address vote-counting problems.
"These reforms aren't about radical redesign," Clark says. "They're about updating a system that has served us well but now needs modernising for 21st century realities. After 30 years, we know what works and what doesn't."
ENDS
Nick Clark is available for comment. To schedule an interview, please contact:
Jamuel Enriquez, Marketing and Communications Manager
E: jamuel.enriquez@nzinitiative.org.nz
P: 021 022 34451
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About The New Zealand Initiative
The New Zealand Initiative is an evidence-based think tank and research institute contributing to public policy discussion.
Supported by the nation’s leading visionaries, business leaders and political thinkers, we are committed to making New Zealand a better country for all its citizens with a world-class education system, affordable housing, a healthy environment, sound public finances and a stable currency.
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