"In a modern democracy... You have to have responsiveness and you have to have public involvement in the decisions all the time, not just the time of elections.
What happens in NZ is we tend to go to sleep between the elections and there isn't enough public involvement in the decision-making system. We need in this country much more deliberative democracy if we are not to go the way they've gone in the US or Britain ..."
"I think that as politicians we also have to look in the mirror and say; are we engaging the public? Because actually when the issues are put in front of people, and it seems like it's going to be a very important decision and there are real alternatives, turnout does go up."
#GuyonEspiner: "You'd hoped for a majority in 2002. The polls said it was possible."
#HelenClark: "I think with MMP it was probably never realistic. Whatever the polls said... kiwis in the end quite like the government not having it all it's own way, having to talk with others..."