Abstract:
This thesis seeks to answer the question, to what extent does the New Zealand electoral
system ensure the representation of New Zealand’s ethnically diverse communities?
Empirical research is conducted to explore the impact that the introduction of the Mixed
Member Proportional electoral system has had on the representation of New Zealand’s
ethnically diverse communities. Literature on representation, ethnic diversity and electoral
systems were analysed in order to construct a framework. This framework was then used to
measure the extent to which New Zealand’s electoral system ensures the representation of
its ethnically diverse communities. Hanna Pitkin’s (1967) framework of descriptive and
substantive representation provides the foundational understanding of representation for this
research. These two understandings of political representation are used to complete a
quantitative analysis of ethnic representation in New Zealand. Descriptive representation is
measured by comparing levels of MPs elected who identify as belonging to New Zealand’s
ethnic communities. For this, a longitudinal study in which levels are compared between
New Zealand’s previous pluralist electoral system and its current mixed proportional system
is completed. Substantive representation is measured by an analysis New Zealand’s 52nd
Parliament’s Hansard records. Parliamentary interventions that related specifically to New
Zealand’s ethnic communities are used as an indicator of substantive representation. This
analysis found that the majority of interventions are made by members elected via the
proportional party list. This analysis also indicates a clear correlation between descriptive
and substantive representation. The majority of these interventions were either made by a
member who identifies as belonging to the specific group the intervention highlighted, or,
belonging to one of New Zealand’s ethnic communities. These findings indicate that New
Zealand’s electoral system has increased the descriptive and substantive representation of
its ethnically diverse communities. It also finds that descriptive representatives from ethnic
communities are more likely to provide substantive representation to those communities,
indicating a correlation between descriptive and substantive representation.