It's all fun and games - until someone wins a seat

There are few surprises in the Mt Albert by-election results; Labour's David Shearer was the clear winner, taking 63 per cent of the vote, with National's Melissa Lee coming in a distant second with 17 per cent.

Less predictable was Ben Boyce, from the Bill and Ben Party (and TV's Pulp Sport) leading a raft of minor parties to take fifth place or 0.75 per cent of the vote, not far behind John Boscawen of ACT, who could only muster 4.62 per cent support, and beating United Future's Judy Turner who took 0.42 per cent.

The Bill and Ben Party entered New Zealand politics before last year's general election, netting a surprise 13,000 votes, or 0.56 per cent of the party vote.

Their aim was to "put the party back into political party", and their "no policies, no promises" platform obviously resonated with a significant minority of bored voters.

The Bill and Ben Party is a practical joke, a publicity stunt designed to boost the profiles of a pair of TV comedians. They are significant to New Zealand politics only when their minor level of support is compared to other minor parties who currently hold real sway in the running of the country.

Parliament minnows United Future, the Maori Party, and ACT, each gained less than four per cent of the party vote in last year's general election (United Future actually won less than one per cent).  Yet the quirks of our MMP system has handed these fringe parties influence far in excess of any voter mandate.

MMP certainly has its benefits; it ensures that a range of perspectives and interests are represented in parliament.  It has given rise to the Greens, unable to compete under first past the post; they seem to grow their share of the vote at every election since MMP was introduced.

It has also created a situation where the minority partners in coalition governments are often able to push through controversial agendas that are out of step with the vast majority of the voting public.  

The 'anti-smacking' bill is the result of Labour's concessions to its Green coalition partner, resulting in a policy which few voters would have considered a possibility before the 2005 election.

Now, ACT's far-right ideology is the driving force behind the reform of Auckland's governance, an ideology that only 3.65 per cent of the voting public subscribe to.

The Bill and Ben Party bring light humour to New Zealand politics; but how many people would laugh if they actually won a seat? Who will be laughing once ACT has had their way with local government? The Government has promised a referendum on whether to keep MMP; how will you be voting?