Bryce Edwards thinks as little as 30% will vote in local body elections.
I think he’s being optimistic.
I’m getting the same feeling about the local elections I got about the census – that people are weaponising their apathy as a fuck you to the system. I predicted census would be a failure, I fear our local elections will be poorly attended as well.
I spoke with so many people about the census who weren’t bothering to fill it in because they were angry. A sense that they didn’t want to give the Government any more information than they had to, a resentment that was driven by a deep dislike of their fellow citizens.
Culturally I think we are at war with one another and I blame social media.
The more and more we have had the opportunity to connect, the more and more we have disliked each other.
French philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre once said ‘Hell is other people’, I think Hell is other people’s social media.
In a cultural landscape of identity politics, the tribalism is now pathological with no over arching values of being a New Zealander that people attach to. We are weaponising our apathy to the point of outright refusal to co-operate with one another.
Subjective rage and a culture of micro-aggression policing are making us impossible to connect with.
A sense of entropy has descended, I’ve lived in Auckland central for 25 years and I’ve seen it get worse and worse. The gridlock, the ever spiralling rents, the naked poverty of homelessness on the streets – do I believe any candidate will fix that?
No. No I do not.
Add in a news media more focused on entertaining and distraction than informing and a future blighted by climate change, I sense an isolation every bit as Trumpian as Donald’s wall.
We all want to build a wall now, between ourselves and each other, sure we will turn out for the big election because we despise the other team more than love our apathy, but for the run of the mill co-operation like local body elections or the census? I don’t think we care.
I think the bonds of fellowship between us have been blighted and we move to shut down that interaction rather than build on it. Social media has alienated us with no common narrative to connect with.
I hope I am wrong, but I feel like something very profound has changed in the way we communicate with each other that has alienated us to extremes of civic dispossession.
Well put Martyn
Academics talked about the “atomisation of the working class” some years ago, and Neo Liberal “dog eat dog” psychology is at work here, we are all individuals now, commodity fetishism rules! There is not a lot of institutional memory left now of collective ways of behaviour that used to prevail in New Zealand.
38% voter turnout in the last Supercity election, it will likely be less this year. The death of post, alienation, transience, all contribute I guess.
Totally agree
“with that people are weaponising their apathy as a fuck you to the system. I predicted census would be a failure, I fear our local elections will be poorly attended as well.
I spoke with so many people about the census who weren’t bothering to fill it in because they were angry. A sense that they didn’t want to give the Government any more information than they had to”
although I don’t think it is necessary dislike of fellow citizens but more anger from how many aspects of democracy have been eroded from pushing through the supercity to pretending to care about climate change/transport/ etc etc… sadly many people in power simply are out of touch and this local election is a joke between 2 guys (Goff and Tamihere) who both have equally bad policies and are seemingly led from right wing politics perspective, posing as centre or left politics!
They both are ex Labour, what does that say??????
They are both so bad in their policies or attitude, I’m just hoping there is a protest vote like Penny Bright, I can go with.
Has anyone asked Jian Yang who is going to win?
Maybe the solution would be to pick a few highly contentious local issues to put to a binding referendum every time there are local body elections? As well as maybe motivating more people to turn out, referenda could give the campaign some focus. Citizens could use the positions candidates take on the referendum questions, and the reasons they give for those positions, to help them evaluate who they might want to vote for.
Sadly I agree with your sentiment. However, for your part Martyn, keep up the good work. I read your blog, not because I agree with all you say but because you seem to transcend the cultural divides and allow dissenting views. The fact you do a weekly radio show with Sean Plunket etc speaks volumes. I’d love to see you on Bill Maher one day, he reminds me of you with his ability to get outside the echo chambers many in this polarised world get stuck in. Kia kaha e hoa.
In Auckland the situation is certainly not helped by the way Auckland Council is structured. The parts of it that ratepayers money goes into or that dominate this city are stand alone business entities, “Council Controlled Organisations”, unelected boards of officialdom who have massive influence and at times salaries but who are 100% unaccountable to voters. The elected councillors impotently exist with no say and little if any influence. About all you can say for councillors roles is it pays more than the unemployment benefit.
This is the bullshit sop to democracy that Rodney Hide and John Key left. The pointless expensive pseudo democratic ghost council, so the people think they get a say when that right was extinguished in 2010.
It’s no wonder Aucklanders at least see it for what it is and don’t even bother.
A staunch “Minto for Mayor” type candidate is what is needed. Slash the $100,000 plus salary layer at Council, Fare Free public transport for all, and above all, ditch the undemocratic CCOs.
House the homeless in tiny house precincts, do a massive apartment build, institute solar panels and rain water collection for all residential dwellings and so on, grab the city by the proverbials and get stuff happening.
Excellent piece, Martyn.
The Sartre quote is from his play “No Exit”. If you ever get a chance to see it – do so – but be prepared for one of the most terrifying experiences of your life!
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