We know this year’s election will be close, and may be ultimately decided, like the last election, by those too apathetic or cynical to vote. The National Party are already maximising dirty tactics to belittle the opposition and perhaps to encourage that sense of apathy and disaffection.
The last General Election had the lowest voter turnout in 120 years. About one million people voted for the National Party, a million voted for other parties, and about a million stayed home and didn’t vote at all. Motivating those non-voters will be important in 2014 – not just for the intrinsic value of civic participation but for the future of New Zealand. Sadly, the inertia of cynicism and apathy may be hard to counter.
Statistics New Zealand recently released its survey into non-voting habits. More than 20% of non-voting survey respondents just didn’t get round to it, forgot, or weren’t interested. 14% couldn’t be bothered voting, 11% couldn’t decide who to vote for, and 7% were put off because they didn’t feel they’d make a difference-‘voting doesn’t really change things’ and the election was (portrayed as) a foregone conclusion. A third of those who didn’t vote were demotivated by a distrust of politicians. 42% of those aged 18-24 didn’t vote. The young, unemployed and/or recent migrants were least likely to vote as disenfranchisement and alienation from the political system created a multiplier effect. This is dismal news for those who treasure the spirit of democracy, and despair of the current government. But no wonder the public are cynical about politics.
Media coverage shows Parliament full of (mainly) white men yelling at each other. It’s all ‘stunts and sound bites’. The National Party successfully encourages cynicism and apathy by dumbing down political discourse and discrediting options for a better New Zealand. The opposition parties’ modest reform agendas to address poverty and inequality and reduce hardships from underemployment, underpayment and the high cost of living, encounter shouting, outright dismissal, and refusal to engage in serious debate from the Government.
We’re told that the economy is good under National and that is was bad under Labour, that tax cuts are fair but the Living Wage, and extended Paid Parental Leave are drains on the hallowed economy. We’re told growth is more important than the environment, while most of us work harder, longer. Most of us know that the real power is held by banks and multi-national corporations, and it would be difficult for any credible party to stand up to Big Oil or Big Money or Big Pharmaceuticals.
While the rest of us still hold onto hope and strive for a better world, and vote accordingly, because non-voters ‘hold the balance of power’, it’s in the National Party’s interests to promote a culture of apathy and cynicism and to hope that almost as many as their voters, don’t vote at all.
Real simple solution to this tax cut spin people like you on the left are pushing. If you really think it cost the country billions of dollars then just reverse the tax changes including the rise in GST and get a projection on the revenue change as a result. I think you will find that there is hardly any difference between the revenue gained versus the revenue lost.
The difference in revenue isn’t the issue Gosman. Who is paying it is the point.
The rich get tax cuts and the lower end get tax increases.
That is the tax cut spin that people like us on the left are pushing against.
If what you say is true Gosm,an (and it isn’t), then pray tell; what was the point of reducing one tax and increasing the other?! Especially as increasing gst impacts more on low income earners than higher income earners.
And it’s intriguing that you question everything critical of this current government – but not National propaganda.
To encourage better use of capital. New Zealanders tend to like to spend rather than save. By increasing the incentive to save you go some way to resolving this problem.
However you avoided the issue. If it was such a no brainer that the Tax changes that National introduced in their first term were so disadvantageous to the economy why doesn’t the left just call for them to be reversed?
Gosman – how the f**k do people on low incomes save when they need to spend all their income on rent, power, food, clothing, medicines/doctor’s fees, school fees, etc, etc, etc, etc?!?!
Christ, once once you demonstrate a lack of comprehension and empathy for people on minimum wage and fixed incomes.
You really are deluded.
And yes, that is precisely the point; the tax cuts favoured top income earners – and disadvantaged low income earners.
Try doing basic arithmatic: how much more gst do you pay if you spend $100 at the grocery shop?
As for why ” the left just call for them to be reversed” – maybe you need to pay closer attention to what’s going on around you. What did Cunliffe say about increasing the top income tax rate? Gowan, I dare you to google and find out…
I’ll make it really simple for you, Gooseman. Imagine we live in a country that has the death penalty for some activity or other (maybe you do already, but anyway…). Now someone is convicted and duly hung. Let’s change things, release them, and hang you instead. There is hardly any difference. A life has been lost.
Labour must give the non-voters policies to counter their “apathy and cynicism”.
Good points Christine, all we can do is keep on keeping on.
This year there are apparently some changes to the usual advance voting procedures long available to individuals who need to vote early for various reasons.
Organisations such as unions are planning to set up mobile voting places in working class areas and venues to try and encourage people to vote by going to where they are.
When you are tired, alienated, poor, shifting address and missing mail, unenrerolled etc in addition to general cynicism and apathy no wonder people don’t vote.
Last election, we found three people who generally do not vote (living in our street). We chatted with them and supported them to accompany us to the polling station.
If we each one of us finds ONE person who did not vote last time and support them to do so this time, we’ve effectively doubled our vote.
So, find one person who didn’t vote. Engage with them. And persuade them.
It’s not a simple answer by any means, but it’s a start.
And I repeat; Russell Brand’s brand of cynicism is not a solution – he is part of the problem.
No doubt you’ll find yourself as welcome as the Jehovah’s Witnesses.
But more effective.
Perhaps Russel Brand’s brand of cynicism is the problem because main stream political parties won’t address the real solutions to our problems.
Why?
Surely if you think that election results should express the wishes of the public, then you ought to respect that some people abstain from voting because they no longer believe in democracy – after all, that is their wish.
Would you rather that all the non-voters voted to disestablish democracy?
Look, the writing has been on the wall for years. Democracy seems to mean an inevitable drift rightwards no matter who you vote for. I’m not sure whether it is a systemic problem with democracy at this point in history or just that a majority of voters like the sort of popular market authoritarianism promoted by parties of the right. Whatever it is, NZ has never been more democratic than it is today, and yet the drift has been pretty steady for 30 years now.
I don’t have time to vote. I’m too busy trying to insulate myself against the last round of political barbarism delivered up by the mob.
>> The National Party are already maximising dirty tactics to belittle the opposition and perhaps to encourage that sense of apathy and disaffection. <> Democracy seems to mean an inevitable drift rightwards no matter who you vote for. <> I’m too busy trying to insulate myself against the last round of political barbarism delivered up by the mob. <<
Also the fallacy that voting has any influence whatsoever on what the carpetbaggers do once they get elected.
Slightly off topic, but the comment by Tom reminded me of something my 14 year old nephew asked me recently:-
“Why don’t Jehova’s Witnesses celebrate Halloweens?”
Me “Probably for the same reason they don’t celebrate birthdays I suppose?”
“No – its because they don’t appreciate complete strangers knocking on their front door”
Great article, Christine.
I wrote a longer response to this, but the TDB server munched it due to my habitual use of >> quote << marks. The TL;DR was that the defensive hectoring about the supposed importance of voting comes across to principled non-voters as "if you don't punch yourself in the head, you're apathetic and cynical", or "if you don't punch yourself in the head, don't complain", or "If we each one of us finds ONE person who did not punch themselves in the head last time and support them to do so this time, we’ve effectively doubled our head-punching".
Until voting can lead to something other than rule by a smiling, shorn, besuited, old, white man, who wants to drill and mine everything in sight, and kidnap people for non-violent cannabis use (in all these things Cunliffe is indistinguishable from Key), we might as well spend election day punching ourselves in the head as go and vote. Or find something more actively democratic to do.
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