burbschook

I was a politics nerd in the UK & subscribed to Private Eye which seemed a good ally at the time. One thing I was looking forward to in this young & growing country was a hoped for refreshing angle on politics.
HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA (AD NAUSEUM)

Bunch of second rate car dealers with private agendas so transparent they couldn't stop a fart.
Honestly, at least one would hope for a verbose semi intelligent politician .... just one. And don't get me started on local councils!!!!!

But I will vote for history's sake as in the first western country to have a female prime minister, first for womens' votes & first to have a public holiday for workers.

Genesis

I am glad I am not the only one who thinks they are all pretty much useless

luvwelly

It's attitudes like that which strongly make the case for all people to exercise their right to vote at every opportunity, lest it be taken away from them by someone who holds that view.
Most of the world doesn't have the right to vote after all, so to not exercise it is tantamount to saying you don't care whether you have the right either, it is dangerous ground to occupy.

As for those who really don't have a clue, universal suffrage implies Governments need to educate the population in a 'free at point of use' way - another benefit to the whole community.

I don't easily identify with any NZ political party but the worst system of all to me in Western countries seems to be the USA one where only someone with loads of financial backers can possible win. I really don't think the system in other places comes anywhere close to their level of corrupt lobbying.

Bo-Jangles

I think actually the media in the UK does a good job directly and indirectly of acting as a moderator for accountability of the members of the house and the opposition. If someone is a lazy slob and just turns up for the expenses and a sleep, then it ends up published in the public arena. Certainly there the media provides more challenge to MPs not to just do as they please and they're inevitably named and shamed when they step over the mark or behave inappropriately. I think it helps to keep some balance when there is the constant pressure of media scrutiny and questioning; made more challenging and interesting with media erring on one side of the political spectrum or the other.

Here the media is just so lame and tame, there's no hard-line questioning and they're not even allowed to make any humour or satire out of footage or MPs pictures from within parliament. As far as I am concerned there are far too many of them here, why do they need all those people playing games with the lives of 4 million people for heaven's sake is beyond me. How hard can it be?

Why did Auckland ever need four councils and three District Health Boards to cater for 1 million people? It is absolute madness!! Perhaps if they applied some logic and lean thinking we could get a proper public transport system. If JK wants to save a few million bucks I could show him a few places to look.

Charismatic

How dare you back me into a corner with my own argument! Have you considered a career in politics?

The citizens are too bloody lazy to vote for anything that doesn't involve a panel of celeb judges and texting a number to vote. The idea that people might have a civil responsibility to know what is happening in their communities and country is a joke now, people would rather spend a day buying pretty things to put in their houses or watching a story on Close-Up about a cat that can play the piano.

How can you say these people deserve the right to vote? Some of them still don't believe in evolution, still more would think "A Brave New World" was the slogan promoting a supermarket chain.

Would we not be better leaving the complex and difficult choices in society in the hands of people who actually care enough to keep themselves informed? Why do we, in the words of the U.S. declaration of independence "Hold these truths to be self evident...etc. etc."?

Charismatic

The promises are only empty if we don't hold those in public office to account.

...but yes. Politics is too complicated for a woman to understand, better leave voting to the men folk while you stay at home ironing their shirts .

Woodlea

Thick people and the unemployed shouldn't be allowed to vote, or procreate, simple really...
I've just been watching the Chawners and the Pommy teens program so I'm a bit jaundiced at the moment!

ExKiwilass

Word. NZ is an old boys club, always has been.

Genesis, I agree with you about the low standards in NZ. Where I live the blood alcohol limit is now the lowest in Canada - some people say it's too low, the bars/ clubs claim they are losing business as a result - but hte cops say it has made their job easier and it is saving lives. Personally i'm effing tired of drunk drivers and their endless excuses, but maybe that's just me..

I first learn to drive in NZ at 15, same as everyone else. My brother was driving a tractor around at 12. Here is it much stricter - they have a graduated license system that lasts 3 years. For the first year regardless of age, you have to drive with an experienced driver at all times, and you can't drive at night. No exceptions. The second you can drive without a registered driver but you still have a lot of restrictions. You don't hear of boy racers here ala teenagers in nz as a result. It's really unusual.

There are many good things about NZ but the low expectations of behaviour is not one of them.

Genesis

And why don't we simply adopt your rules? They save lives, stop carnage, stop huge bills, help every body and the end outcome is win, win, win. As for the bar owners..start another business.

The reason we don't do this is because our politicians have no balls, no imagination. They are an utter waste of space. Your post just compounds the reason NOT to vote.

You are right about there being loads of great things about Nz but there are also really, really bad things about it too. Dark, dark things that don't happen elsewhere. That has to be down to a shite attitudinal issue in my eyes. And all that shit about "kiwi eyes are different..through them we can see anything we like..." well the last bit is true...they certainly view the NZ world and what happens within it in a very, very skewed way.

But hey, she'll be right. Bollocks she will.

Woodlea

I think short parliamentary terms and MMP are the main problems and you end up with weak governments. You need longer than 3 years to do anything and you need good majorities to get things done. With coalitions you just get rule by committee and pandering to minorities. What was that about the camel being the horse designed by the committee?
You either need to pay them more so you get quality applicants or pay them nothing so you get people who have already made their money. High flyers aren't going to work for $134k!

scrubbedexpat094

I'm with you on this one

Am Loolah

See ... lost me ... Back to the ironing.

Genesis

Me too....don't have the slightest idea what its all about. See, its best I don't vote.

crap coffee

No longer bother voting. feel guilty a bit however.

Dustybin

if you think it's broken then you should be out there trying to fix it, oo noo wait being clever on internet forums is soooo much easier