Article: The party's over

* They came, they saw . . . they lost their deposits. JANE CLIFTON sums up the post- election prospects of the small parties who did their dough on MMP

FOR the dawn of a new democratic era, this election was a big disappointment for the 29 small parties seeking at least niche status in the new Parliament.

Only ACT was successful. Despite the promise that everyone's vote would count under MMP, all votes cast for other than ACT and the four major parties effectively self-destructed. One would-be boutique party leader is blunt about what this means. "There's just no room for niche parties," says Superannuitants and Youth Action founder John Cronin. "I don't think that's what people thought ...

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