Genesis

I heard today that NZ has the highest mortality rate per capita for 15-17year old male drivers. We just upped the age limit for driving.............. to 16. Why oh why did they not go to 17..even 18?

How stupid are politicians?? Like when the transport minister refused to raise our alco/drink levels. Inspite of the fact that 100s of reports came out at the same time from all over the world citing that this action WOULD save lives.

I heard a transport official say something like "but what if we raise the limits and nothing happens"........WTF kind of loser comment is that to make???????????????????????????????????

There are many other exapmles where the policticans we pay to work for us are CLEARLY NOT listening to us. Hence I cannot be bothered to vote ever again as they refuse to listen to facts and public opinion.

Another really important one was when they DROPPED the legal drinking age. At the time there were LOADS of reports all which said there will be a very serious conseqeunces to the age limit being dropped. Did they listen? Of course not. And now all the chooks are home to roost. Well done our learned politicians.

Charismatic

So we are going to set aside the need for better driver training and more comprehensive testing?

Teenagers are over represented but if we moved the driving age to 100 years old we could almost alleviate road deaths in New Zealand . Also if they where shit drivers at 16 I have no reason to believe 12 months of watching other people drive will improve their skills to be honest.

alanmacc

But based on the theory of you cant be bothered to vote can you really have a valid complaint about how the government is or is not working if you didn't actually try to make a difference

But to be fair they are all much of a muchness and blending into the one big party, lets face it regardless of what country you are in us the plebs will never have any real benefit from any government in power unless we decide to make some hefty contributions to their coffers to make sure we get 'looked after' ....... allegedly.

I will still vote even though i have yet to find a party that i truly believe can make a real differenced

scrubbedexpat094

Pretty much how I feel too. Given that women struggled so hard to get the vote, I consider it my duty to vote. The choice may not be that great but that's politics the world over.

I do wonder if I should head into politics & become the second NZ PM from Eccleston, St.Helens, England

BEVS

Totally agree.

Catchafire

Voting is a fundamental right, that people around the world, today are willing to and do, die for.

I agree that NZ politics are pretty second rate, but if you can't be bothered to vote, then you should not complain, as far as I am concerned.

Genesis

All your sentiments are very valid and true, however I cannot get over my HUGE disappointment with politicians generally. I guess it is a bit of a cop out, if I don't vote I am less likely to be disappointed.

I am not proud of the way I feel and hopefully I might get over it one day!! Who knows a man/woman or party may well stir me from my abstenance.

luvwelly

There's definitely a duty to vote for women especially....there's another thing Australia gets right - compulsory voting.
If you don't vote, you can't really expect to be taken seriously when you complain. This is also especially valid in a proportional system where every vote does actually count (I would that it did in UK). So it's yes to keeping MMP from me.

You are right though, I don't identify easily with any NZ political party - it all feels like history repeating itself badly (e.g. privatisation plans).
Someone on Radio NZ National this morning was commenting on how the Government Minister at the time (Labour I suppose) just stood by and watched the finance companies keel over as if this were a normal thing in a Western democracy.

Genesis

Indeed. They did bugger all when they could have done something to stem the rot within the finance sector. Thanks yet another reason not to vote because of what THEY did not do. I have heard this remark before. With respect to being made to vote..how stupid. A democracy should not make you do things like vote if you have utterly no confidence in any party or person. Anyway its a stupid law as it cannot be policed. You simply go, spoil your ballot paper and the job is done.

Charismatic

By the same token propping them up with taxpayer money isn’t really a long term strategy either and they moan about how everyone will have to be charged 100% p.a. interest on their home loans if you try to regulate the sector .

As for the voting thing what better way could we run a democracy? Licence to vote after a test to weed out those under the median IQ? Every applicant for minister must have done a PhD?

I’ve always wondered if the universal right to vote was the best idea myself but how do you tell people “You’re too stupid to vote, please mind the steps on the way out” without violating human rights.

Genesis

If they had not let them fall over in the 1st place they would not have had to pay a dime in bank guarantee repayments..like they did with SCF.

The point is they did nothing. Much could have been done to stop all the shit that happened re finance companies. It was easier to sit back though and do nothing. Makes me sick. Lazy bastards.

Charismatic

Which cost us next to nothing...

...well $1.7bn so far but who was counting small amounts like $380+ per person in New Zealand, after all it’s not like we needed it for recession stuff like keeping schools open or a rocky day in Christchurch.

In fact how dare I insinuate the possibility that the almost unlimited burden of a failing finance sector shouldn’t fall on the citizens of New Zealand? The fact that should SFCs big gamble have paid off taxpayers would have likely seen almost no benefit is irrelevant isn’t it because they are beyond being held to account about their business practises. Luckily those wide sweeping changes to the way the sector is regulated will stop this from ever happening again .

Am Loolah

Whilst I agree that women in particular fought hard for the right to vote so some feel it their duty almost, I'm afraid I'm in the camp that doesn't exercise that right.

Not because I can't find a party or politician that inspires me, but because I simply don't follow politics. I don't understand it. All the promises seem to me empty. I feel it is almost as bad if I were to vote for somebody based on total ignorance as not voting at all.

I know it makes me sound stupid and lazy, but I'm sure I'm not the only one out there.

Genesis

Of course the tax payer should not bail out shitty finance cos, with shitty, feckless tossers at the helm who are to all intents and purposes white collared theives. The govt SHOULD have had in place robust policy so that the bastards could not rob us of $5 billion in the 1st place.

BTW the govt should not bail out people who CHOSE for whatever reason NOT to have house ins down in Chch. I have no idea why any one would not insure their hugest asset. And don't talk about affordability. If you are well off enough to have a mortgage you should find the wedge to insure it. Not having insurance for your house is just dumb. Even way dumber than us 'greedy', stupid gits who entrusted our monies to a bunch of rotten loan sharks. Rant over, alright?

Genesis

Yes empty promises and selective hearing do it for me. As well as being bone idle IMO and not being able to smell coffee or able to see VERY LARGE WRITING ON WALLS.