Former United Future leader Peter Dunne does not believe there is enough public appetite for a referendum on MMP, saying it is likely the prime minister's call was down to his frustrations with his current partners rather than a genuine desire to change the electoral system.
Christopher Luxon announced on Newstalk ZB that if re-elected, he would look at a referendum on MMP.
The idea caught both of his coalition colleagues off-guard.
Your pastry-based guide to NZ's mixed member proportional voting system - Watch on TVNZ+
Luxon's caucus colleagues have defended his call, saying the prime minister was reflecting conversations he had had with constituents.
New Zealand First leader Winston Peters has poured scorn on the idea, saying nobody had raised the issue with him during his extensive travels around the country.
Dunne, who served as a minister under both Labour and National governments in his 33-year Parliamentary career, told RNZ's Checkpoint there was always a "measure of frustration" with the electoral system, because people saw it as not giving them the result they wanted.
But he did not think there was any more frustration now than there was usually.
"I worked with people I didn't always agree with, but part and parcel of the MMP system was finding the compromises necessary to make things work, and not just sort of throwing your arms up in horror when you can't get your own way," he said.
In 2011, a referendum saw 57.8% of people vote to keep the MMP system. Following the referendum, a review into the system was carried out by the Electoral Commission.
Dunne said some of the recommendations from that review had still not been implemented, and so another referendum was premature.
"I don't really think there's a need at this point. I don't think sufficient deficiencies have been identified to require one. Having said that, we should never assume the electoral system is set in stone. We should always be prepared to review it."
Jack Tame clears up the confusion around the country's 30 year old MMP voting system. (Source: 1News)
Dunne said Luxon had not made it clear whether he wanted a referendum on getting rid of MMP, or if he had an alternative in mind.
He believed it was more down to Luxon's own frustration with New Zealand First and ACT.
"I don't think he imagined three years ago that he would be run rings around by his two coalition partners the way he has been so often, and he's in a tough international situation, which perhaps wasn't foreseeable at the time as well, so I think it's a measure of that frustration, rather than a deep sense that the ecosystem has caused all of this."
Luxon told Newstalk ZB he wanted more National party Cabinet ministers, and not "some yahoo or numpty from some other party" at the table. He has denied he was referring to his existing partners.
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