Stefan Lipa
Encyclopedia
Stefan Lipa(LL.B (Auck) 1975) is a former New Zealand
politician. He was President of the Social Credit Party
(originally the Social Credit Political League; in 1985 its name was changed to the Democratic Party) from 1979 to 1987.
and was educated at St Peter's College
where one of the influential teachers was Tom Weal, Deputy leader of the Social Credit Political League 1970-1972. Lipa studied law at the University of Auckland
and practised law in Auckland.
, the leader of the party, he wrote a major submission on electoral reform to the Parliamentary Select Committee on Electoral Reform. The submission proposed, inter alia
, the introduction of proportional representation
into the political system of New Zealand to replace the then current first past the post electoral system. On 23 August 1979, at the party's annual conference, he was, at the age of 26, elected as President of the party, a position he held until 1987. In the New Zealand general election of 1981, the party gained the greatest share of votes in its history, 20.65%. But the party only won two seats, giving poignant nuance to the work Lipa had done on electoral reform. From 1985 the Social Credit name was dropped, and the party became the New Zealand Democratic Party with Lipa continuing as President until 1987. In 1996, New Zealand obtained a proportional representation system when the first past the post system was replaced by the Mixed Member Proportional Representation
electoral system.
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
politician. He was President of the Social Credit Party
Social Credit Party (New Zealand)
The New Zealand Social Credit Party was a political party which served as the country's "third party" from the 1950s through into the 1980s. The party held a number of seats in the New Zealand Parliament, although never more than two at a time...
(originally the Social Credit Political League; in 1985 its name was changed to the Democratic Party) from 1979 to 1987.
Early life
Lipa spent his childhood in AucklandAuckland
The Auckland metropolitan area , in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban area in the country with residents, percent of the country's population. Auckland also has the largest Polynesian population of any city in the world...
and was educated at St Peter's College
St Peter's College, Auckland
St Peter's College is a Catholic college for year 7 to 13 boys . The school, located in Auckland, is one of the largest Catholic schools in New Zealand and is an integrated school under an integration agreement entered into by the Catholic Bishop of Auckland and the Government of New Zealand in...
where one of the influential teachers was Tom Weal, Deputy leader of the Social Credit Political League 1970-1972. Lipa studied law at the University of Auckland
University of Auckland
The University of Auckland is a university located in Auckland, New Zealand. It is the largest university in the country and the highest ranked in the 2011 QS World University Rankings, having been ranked worldwide...
and practised law in Auckland.
Political career
Lipa was elected as a Dominion Councillor of the party in the 1970s. With Bruce BeethamBruce Beetham
Bruce Craig Beetham was an academic and politician from New Zealand, whose career spanned the 1970s and early 1980s.A lecturer at Hamilton's University of Waikato and at the Hamilton Teacher's Training College, he was elected leader of the Social Credit Party in 1972, at a time when the party was...
, the leader of the party, he wrote a major submission on electoral reform to the Parliamentary Select Committee on Electoral Reform. The submission proposed, inter alia
Inter Alia
-Track listing:# Inter Alia# Outfox'd # Righteous Badass # The Altogether feat. Bix, Apt, UNIVERSE ARM and Cal# The Day-to-Daily# Trouble Brewing # The Prestidigitator# The Force...
, the introduction of proportional representation
Proportional representation
Proportional representation is a concept in voting systems used to elect an assembly or council. PR means that the number of seats won by a party or group of candidates is proportionate to the number of votes received. For example, under a PR voting system if 30% of voters support a particular...
into the political system of New Zealand to replace the then current first past the post electoral system. On 23 August 1979, at the party's annual conference, he was, at the age of 26, elected as President of the party, a position he held until 1987. In the New Zealand general election of 1981, the party gained the greatest share of votes in its history, 20.65%. But the party only won two seats, giving poignant nuance to the work Lipa had done on electoral reform. From 1985 the Social Credit name was dropped, and the party became the New Zealand Democratic Party with Lipa continuing as President until 1987. In 1996, New Zealand obtained a proportional representation system when the first past the post system was replaced by the Mixed Member Proportional Representation
Mixed member proportional representation
Mixed-member proportional representation, also termed mixed-member proportional voting and commonly abbreviated to MMP, is a voting system originally used to elect representatives to the German Bundestag, and nowadays adopted by numerous legislatures around the world...
electoral system.