MATT HEATH’S SATIRICAL THRUST at the over-65s in Monday’s NZ Herald has caused considerable angst. Depriving the elderly of the right to vote is one of those suggestions that stops people in their tracks. Not so much because it’s a good idea (which it obviously isn’t) but because somebody’s had the bare-faced cheek to put such a subversive thought into words.
The notion of depriving an entire class of citizens of the right to vote runs directly against the grain of our history. Since the passage of the New Zealand Constitution Act in 1852, the entire thrust of democratic activity has been toward extending the franchise. First to the male middle-class, then to male Maori, then to the respectable male working-class, then to every male over the age of 21, then to every female over the age of 21, and, finally, to everyone over the age of 18.
The very people Heath is proposing to disenfranchise grew up watching black-and-white news-clips of young civil rights activists in America’s Deep South being set upon by police dogs and pummelled by fire-hoses – for the right to vote. Many of those same “Over-65s” were beaten and arrested in 1981 for protesting against a political system that disenfranchised millions of South Africans for the crime of being black.
The right to vote is something the Baby-Boom generation values highly. To be threatened with disenfranchisement – even in jest – is a disconcerting experience.
Of course, Matt Heath likes nothing better than to disconcert. Identify a taboo, and he’ll transgress it. Explain the meaning of good taste, and he’ll demonstrate just how bad bad taste can be. Heath has been refining this natural iconoclasm ever since he somehow persuaded TVNZ to screen Back of the Y in 2001.
No comic performer operates in a vacuum, however, and satire remains toothless without a genuine grievance to give it bite. Clearly, there is something in the zeitgeist; something in the Friday-night pub-talk; something in the whiskey-fuelled conversations at the Northern Club; that declines to any longer recognise the right to vote as a sacred totem of our political system.
We’ve been here before. The New Zealand Legion was born out of the economic and political turmoil of the Great Depression. For a time, its membership rivalled that of the Labour Party. Indeed, it was the professional middle-class’s fear of the latter that gave it strength. Watching the socialists grow stronger at every election, the members of the Legion began to voice openly the idea that democracy might not be such a good idea after all.
This disdain for the democratic process extended well beyond the membership of the Legion. On 26 August 1933, G.S. Thompson, who had stood in the Dunedin North electorate for the right-wing Reform Party in 1928, expressed his thoughts in a letter to the Otago Daily Times:
“[D]emocracy is a myth, and … the unholy mob led by the unscrupulous, place-seeking labour secretaries, presidents and other officials simply must be kept … in restraint. To accomplish this we must, if necessary, establish even in ‘God’s Own Country’, a dictatorship that will wipe out Parliament as it is presently constituted … the time has arrived for the surgeon’s knife to be used to cut the cancerous growths out of the body politic.”
Heath does not go as far as describing the Over-65s as a cancerous growth, but he is in no doubt that they should be cut out of the body politic:
“We love our seniors dearly. We should cherish them, honour them, and look after them. Listen to their stories and learn. But surely it’s time to remove their right to vote. To say, ‘thanks granddad, you had your go, let’s see what we can do.’”
It’s difficult to decide which of those sentiments is the most offensive. The disingenuous and thoroughly patronising pats on the head. The bland removal of “granddad’s” civil rights. Or, the blue-eyed, flaxen-haired, Tomorrow Belongs To Me certainty that the generation who invented the “thumb-squirt” might do a better job.
Come on, mate, calm down, the guy was only joking. Well, we must certainly hope so. And I would laugh along with the best of them if I wasn’t aware that Act’s David Seymour is constantly stoking the fires of intergenerational distrust for his party’s political gain. Or, that the only “-ism” not considered worthy of instant societal condemnation is ageism.
“When I am old”, Heath tells his readers, “I hope I am brave enough to hand power over without a fight.” I suppose we must be grateful that Winston Churchill, appointed Britain’s Prime Minister at the age of 66 – in the hour of his country’s greatest need – adhered to a somewhat more robust conception of human rights.
If democracy doesn’t give us the results we desire lets get rid of democracy……
Fascist coming out of the woodwork everywhere especially after the so called Brexit.
We could go the “whole 9 yards” and follow the premise in “Logan’s Run” where everyone over 21 (30 in the movie-adaptation) was terminated…
Well, that would certainly free up a few hundred thousand houses for the Millenials!
(By the way, Just Kidding!)
Now if only we could motivate every young person to vote for a youth-oriented party (call it The Millenial’s Party Party), that would strike fear into the property-owning classes!!
God, you got nothing better to write about? It’s an attempt at a joke from a radio DJ, in the NZ Herald. Why did you even click on it?
If you’re really worried about older people, then there’s plenty to discuss – this isn’t worthy of discussion. And please give it a rest with praising Churchill as a guardian of human rights. He was nasty – happy to let the Bengal famine happen (3 million people died).
You could’ve used Corbyn & Sanders as examples instead. Why are these two so seductive to young voters – there’s something worth discussing.
We watched the CEO of the Property Investor’s Association on RNZ Checkpoint this evening and he was insisting that because there were high interest rates in the 1970s and 80s, that young people are better off now because interest rates are lower.
What John Campbell and the young man from Gen X failed to throw back at the Property Investors guy was that at least in the 1970s and 80s we COULD afford to buy a home. Servicing that mortgage simply meant we paid less on the kind of consumer garbage that people have available now to fleece them of their incomes. Plus POWER BILLS were two-monthly and a damn sight cheaper than what we have now.
At least in the 70s and 80s there wasn’t the kind of homelessness and unaffordability we see now.
Our oldest works in Auckland with his wife and they will not be able to afford a home, ever. (He’s thinking of moving to Melbourne next year.)
So when John Key says that things are much better than they were before (as reported by Frank in his review of The Nation), I feel like throwing something at the lying wanker.
Agree with you Sally’s Husband. Any good economist worth one’s salt will tell you that Interest rates are being kept deliberately low to stop the tanking dairy industry, key’s fake economy and the housing bubble from blowing up in National’s face. That’s fact. Key lies when he says low interest rates show NZ has a strong economy, it is the OPPOSITE, low interest rates show NZ has a very weak, fragile economy. That’s the truth the public needs to hear and the fact that it’s not even coming from people like John Campbell is hugely disappointing.
Who the hell is this guy?
Matthew Heath. Never heard of him. I don’t have a TV. Maybe that’s the problem.
Now…there is a memorable character in the film ‘ Braveheart’ , and that was the father of the big highland Scots guy called Hamish. Obviously an elder who displayed fire and passion. And showed the young bucks up as namby pamby defeatists and cowards.
I did 6 martial arts.
Jujustu , Ninjutsu , Aikido, Kenjustu , Tai Kwan Do , …and German Kamfringen. As well as Italian / German longsword.
I’ve hitchhiked round the South Island 3 times, nearly died twice , once outside of Arrowtown as a goldminer through heatstroke, and again in the high country snows in the mountain areas of Te Anau – hypothermia. And played in a heavy metal band for 6 years.
Im 53.
And one day I may be in my sixties. And I grew interested in politics in a serious way nay but a few years back. When I saw the ravages of neo liberalism over the last 3 decades and how it has undermined and raped our country. And said enough is enough.
And you think I’m going to stand by and let some crumb small time local professional comedian negate CENTURY’S of hard won democratic vote and the right to elect our public officials without a word?
Has the kid even studied history?
Has he read up on ancient Greece? England?… indeed … the century’s of bloody , hard won human rights in order to secure the vote for ALL people???
What is he ?… some sort of fascist?
Some sort of right wing fanatic ?!!?
So,… his names Mattew Heath , is it?… well,… we can keep an eye on him. And that’ll be one ‘ comedian ‘ we don’t pay money to see.
And all in all… it doesn’t sound like a great loss if we don’t ever get to hear about this fascist subversive ever again.
Glad you made a point of highlighting the sort of dangerous stealth operatives for the fanatical far right wing such as this clown , Chris. Thanks for nailing yet another threat to democracy.
Heath stole this line of taking away the votes from the boomer generation from the London kids demonstrating after BREXIT. Perhaps the Boomers should revolt and kick the young “cling ons” out or … ask for their home loan deposit to be repaid. Either action would work in achieving a glorious silence.
Thanks Chris for speaking up for our rights to democracy.
This guy is way off base here!
I am almost 72 and have had a rough life with a disability later in life and OWN NO home now.
My kids who are 30 & 35 HAVE HOMES THOUGH,
So my wife and I didn’t get onto the housing ladder in Auckland as he thinks we all did.
Grow up MATT HEATH!
If Heath really wants to get into political satire, then maybe he should see how Mcphail and Gasby use to do it back in the day.
Otherwise he can wallow in the fame that being an idiot gets him.
Young people should get of their backsides and VOTE, and if they think there is no party worth voting for, form your OWN new party or movement then!
As for Auckland, here is a young candidate that some may want to learn a bit more about, running for mayor now, if I am right:
http://www.stuff.co.nz/auckland/81351184/aucklands-youngest-mayoral-candidate-joins-the-race
I am not sure what she stands for besides of wanting to get more dialogue, but at least she shows initiative and probably deserves a vote from some for just taking that step.
Running around blaming the “boomers” and so is silly and does not make sense, as some “boomers” are not fitting the prejudicial image of privileged, property owning, lecturing “prick”.
I agree Mike, the problem is not so much that the older generation have more clout at the ballet box, its the fact that the young generation have to be frog marched to the poling booth by parents worried they are not exercising their civic responsibility.
I know of many many young people Generation X’s and Y’s who have never voted, are not interested in politics or their destinies from the outcome of not voting. Then they grizzle like Brexit when they don’t get off their backside and actually make the effort on a Saturday to vote. I thought registering at 18 was a given but it seems its not so. Why don’t they bring back compulsory voting like Australia and then we may get a more balanced result. If their hand pieces or ear phones were not taking up so much of their idle time then they could contemplate how this Government is ignoring their chances of home ownership, student loan debt, you name it.
Why don’t kids today want to sacrifice luxuries to get what they want. When we were young couples who wanted a home saved up and did without for years to get into a home and then the interest rate was 17% and 22% for a bridging loan. We have given the young generation too much and it hasn’t been appreciated, maybe we should have been tougher on them – its a huge problem for all the generations but its certainly not ours that they do not vote on election day. Who is this stupid idiot anyway??
i reacted to this one..perhaps in a more vicious/multi-faceted way…?
http://www.whoar.co.nz/2016/ed-simplistic-age-bashing-drivel-dressed-op-ed-delivered-radio-dj-matt-heath/
i also detail for heath how he is forever part of the ‘unfortunate-generation’..
..perhaps he wasn’t aware of that yet..?
update:..a widely reported stat used in the above piece (released by sky data) that only 36% of 18-24 yr olds voted in eu-referendem..was/is basically bullshit..
the real figure was 67%..and sky data have admitted they used data from the last election from only those who said they vote all the time..(!)..to make that claim..
sky data – don’t believe them..
Matt Heath may be full of blissful young arrogance and prowess.
It happens to be that damned nature we are part of, that dictates us via cell programming in all of our body parts, that we will age. This will also affect the brain, which is a complex organ, it is well recorded that with age we all “mature” and change thinking, attitude and priorities.
Once rebellious people turn out to become calm, and wiser, once energetic people become more relaxed, once heated minds cool down. That will happen to every single human being, and Matt Heath will be NO exception.
So while he may indulge in the kind of stuff he wrote about, frowning on the aged members of society, the “boomers”, he will one day himself be at the receiving end, when he will have “matured”.
NO young person can fathom what his or her feelings, thoughts and views will be once they turn 50, 60, 70 or older, it will be a life journey, a life experience, to travel there, and then they will see, hey, I was a bit “rushed”, perhaps “immature” and “short sighted” those damned years ago.
I am yet to meet a person who has not aged, and will not change thinking and behaviour with older age.
If you know somebody, tell me who it is.
Matt’s column is part of a growing anti establishment trend, Brexit and Trump and the Tea Party and Occupy represent a huge disaffected public and the ruling classes better pay attention or they won’t be in charge much longer.
http://thearchdruidreport.blogspot.co.nz/2016/06/outside-hall-of-mirrors.html
When the neolibs have sold all the state assets and there’s nothing left bringing in income, look around for something else to sell.
When the neolibs have NGO’d all the state safety nets, they’ll look around for somewhere else to make “savings”.
When the neolibs have crowd-funded DOC, wait till after the next election to introduce some radical savings like euthanasia.
“…the moral test of government is how that government treats those who are in the dawn of life, the children; those who are in the twilight of life, the elderly; those who are in the shadows of life; the sick, the needy and the handicapped. ” ~ Last Speech of Hubert H. Humphrey [November 1, 1977]
When the neolibs have created the most unequal New Zealand, start blaming the aged, especially when Winston Peters is about to retire by getting some heartless numpty to proclaim- “Hey how about taking away their voting rights?
National, Maori Party, United Future and ACT, creating a neo-liberal wasteland, for despicable John Key and his rich mates.
If Matt Heath’s piece was satire, it was pretty heavy handed, and as such really is no more than trendy pub talk. Generalisations about the voting patterns of the “elderly” are often off the mark in the presumption that we get more conservative as we age. Ain’t necessarily so. The fact is that our opinions are often not sought by generation millennial or heard when we express them. As for working past the current retirement age of 65, that would be possible if the young men and women who staff most HR departments had a shift in mindset that presumes that “old people ” don’t have any new ideas. I’ve given up applying for full time jobs after getting this reaction so often. I’ve settled for a small portfolio of part time jobs to supplement my superannuation and tiny work related pension. None of them related to my past work experience or my qualifications. Wait till you get old Matt. How many 70 year old newspaper columnists/comedians/DJs do you see around you?
Chris it totally a right wing conservative. Oh, maybe that’s because you had affordable education and housing, etcetera The idea that Mr Trotter is remotely left wing is laughable. Don’t worry Chris, as a result of our sham non existent democracy, armed violence in the streets will soon be widespread.
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