New Zealand's Recent Referendum

       New Zealand has a slightly strange manner of effecting citizens' views on issues, via referendums. It does have a manner of selecting issues upon which they should have the right to have a vote; and a recent one relates to an interesting matter re: asset sales amidst protests over drilling for oil. More than 10% of the voters ( as required) presented a petition calling for the vote. It seems that most of the efforts behind the vote were encouraged by political parties in a minority, within the parliament.
     This has been within their laws since 1993. Three million voters received the referendum  document in mid  November.   But, apparently, according to the Economist magazine of Dec. 6, the government does not actually have to listen to the voters wishes if it does not want to. And so, apparently, if the turnout happens to be low or for whatever other reason the government my come up with, it is not legally bound by the result - and may, indeed take no heed of it.
       The majority of voters (67%) did say they did not want to see the partial sale of some state-owned assets. But some were already sold, and Mr. Key, the Prime Minister did not, it seems, as yet, see a reason, due to a voter turnout of only 40%, to follow more seriously, the results.
       Pretty odd - to go to such trouble, and indeed some expense, and then for the government to be able to ignore what their citizens wish. Surely such government does not have much right to continue, one would conclude - but then, that is New Zealand.