If 2017 was a vote for change so was 2005

James Shaw and a few others are trying to claim that 2017 was a vote for change as opposition parties got more votes than government parties.

This shows an ignorance of MMP, and regardless any new coalition is a change anyway.

Take the 2005 elections. From 2002 to 2005 the Government was Labour and Progressive and United Future supported by Greens. In 2005 those four parties got 60 seats and the opposition parties of National, NZ First, ACT and Maori got 61 seats.

Clark of course did a deal with Winston Peters despite the fact he had been campaigning against her Government for the previous three years.

So those who claim 2017 was a vote for change should argue that 2005 was also a vote for change and that the right outcome was for a National, NZ First, ACT and Maori Party Government as they were the four opposition parties that “won” the election.