新西兰英语 774 A List MP resigns

 　　Aaron Gilmore has been a list MP in the National Party. Today he resigned.

　　A list MP comes from a list of people chosen by the party. He was not elected. He was number 59 out of 59 National Party MPs in Parliament. National won 42 electoral seats in 2011 but 47% of all voters voted for National. The party therefore added 17 MPs from their list to give the party 47% of the MPs.

　　When Dr Lockwood Smith, left Parliament in January to become the New Zealand High Commissioner¹ in Britain, Aaron Gilmore took his place as a National Party Member of Parliament.

　　Ten days ago, Aaron Gilmour had dinner at a Hanmer Springs hotel when the waiter refused to sell him more wine. The waiter thought Mr Gilmore had drunk enough wine. It is illegal to sell alcohol to someone who is intoxicated². Aaron Gilmore was rude to the waiter and suggested that the waiter could lose his job.

　　The Prime Minister was not pleased with the behaviour of this MP. It was obvious that Mr Key wanted Mr Gilmore to resign but in the past when a party leader tells an MP to resign, sometimes that MP decides to stay in Parliament and become an independent MP. That would be a problem for National because there are 121 MPs and only 59 of them belong to the National Party. When there is a vote in Parliament, National needs support from some smaller parties. However, sometimes these other parties do not want to support National.

　　The next person on the National Party list is Claudette Hauiti. She said she is ready to become an MP.

　　Listen to November 27th 2011 to hear more about the 2011 election results. Note that the results changed a little after special votes were counted.

　　Vocabulary

　　?New Zealand High Commissioner – like an ambassador

　　?electoral seats – there are 63 electorates³ in NZ

　　?intoxicated – drunk

　　?obvious – easy to see

　　?independent MP – does not belong to a party

1 commissioner   

n.（政府厅、局、处等部门）专员，长官，委员

参考例句：

• The commissioner has issued a warrant for her arrest.专员发出了对她的逮捕令。
• He was tapped for police commissioner.他被任命为警务处长。

2 intoxicated   

喝醉的，极其兴奋的

参考例句：

• She was intoxicated with success. 她为成功所陶醉。
• They became deeply intoxicated and totally disoriented. 他们酩酊大醉，东南西北全然不辨。

3 electorates   

全体选民( electorate的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The assembly's 15 seats have electorates as small as 190. 大会的15个议席只有很少的190选民参加。
• Restricting hedge funds is something they can sell to their electorates. 限制对冲基金是他们能够向选民兜售的东西。