Un-fucking believable!
Govt’s electoral reform weakens democracy – Greens
The Government is weakening our democracy by restricting voting rights and making it easier for the wealthy to donate to political campaigns under the cover of anonymity.
“These changes represent a dark day for our democracy,” says the Green Party’s spokesperson for Democracy and Electoral Reform, Celia Wade Brown.
“What we do with our democracy matters; who we shut out and who we afford special privileges shapes the decisions made in Parliament and the direction this country is taken in.
“Requiring enrolments before voting starts will see even more people miss out from expressing their democratic right. In the last General Election, over 200,000 people enrolled to vote or updated their details in the last 12 days. These changes would see all of these people miss out on having their say.
“We are deeply concerned to see the prisoner voting ban brought back. The Supreme Court and the Waitangi Tribunal have both been clear that blocking people from prison from voting is a breach of their fundamental rights.
“While the Government has taken away votes from people in prison and made it harder to vote in general, it has made it easier for wealthy people to donate to political parties from the shadows by raising the disclosure threshold to $6,000.
“Big money in politics is a problem for our democracy, but something that benefits the coalition, which might explain the decision to allow the wealthy to donate more money anonymously.
“A Green Government will restore the right to vote for all New Zealanders, restore same-day enrolment, and keep big money out of politics by reforming election funding in line with the recommendations of the Independent Electoral Review.
…WE SHOULD BE MAKING IT EASIRE TO VOTE! NOT RESTRICTING IT!
So let me see if I can get this completely straight.
The Government is gerrymandering the rules on Special Votes, which always lean left, by disenfranchising the 200 000 voters who vote in the last 12 days, by disenfranchising the over 5000 prisoners from voting altogether and by raising the amount of money the rich can secretly donate to their rich prick mates by $1000 up to $6000?
This Government has become so desperate to hold onto power they are re-writing the rules for themselves by disenfranchising pro people WHILE enabling their rich mates to secretly donate.
If you are not incandescent with rage, you are not paying attention!
This Government can’t win a straight election, so they will cheat to win instead!
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How can this not be corruption? I heard Seymour waffling about rights and responsibilities yet he consistently refuses any responsibility for the issues he causes. My idea of rights and responsibilities is explained in Mt 25:31-46 and this CoC has failed that task.
I warned some time ago they were corrupt , but only intelligent people listened.
These people can vote still. They just have to enroll 12 days early. Whats hard about that.
“The only freedom which deserves the name is that of pursuing our own good in our own way, so long as we do not attempt to deprive others of theirs, or impede their efforts to obtain it.”
John Stuart Mill, 1806 – 1873
There are many reasons why unenrolled people don’t update their election details or enroll to vote 12 days before an election.
Maybe you could tell me Maninblack, why you think someone turning 18, 11 days befor an election should not be allowed to enroll to vote?
Or how about people who become naturalised New Zealand citizens 12 days befor an election? It would sort of take the shine off becoming a New Zealand citizen a bit, don’t you think?
Add in people recovering from an illness or accident that had incapacitated them and the numbers start to add up.
And what about people that generally don’t take an interest in politics?
What if some nasty right wing party proposed some measure, or other, that impacted these usually disinterested persons or one of their family members, and it was done 12 days before an election?
Do you think that party would still have a mandate to push through that measure if they were elected?
Would that be democratic?
Of course not. And that’s the point. The Right Wing hate democracy and always have, even after they were forced to adopt it. And have always fought a rearguard action to restrict it.
The fight for universal franchise, particularly women’s suffrage, has been a long and arduous struggle involving social movements, political activism, and legal battles. This movement aimed to ensure that all adult citizens, regardless of gender, race, or socioeconomic status, have the right to participate in the democratic process through voting. New Zealand, in 1893, became the first self-governing country to grant women the right to vote, a milestone achieved after years of campaigning by suffragists like Kate Sheppard….
Historically, suffrage was often limited to wealthy, property-owning men. Early reformers like those inspired by John Stuart Mill advocated for extending voting rights to all men, but even this was met with resistance…..
You can enroll at 17 and your right to vote will be there when you reach 18
If you had no interest 12 days before the election what would make it so urgent that you wanted to vote unless it was for a free meal?
It is all a matter of responsibility in your actions which it seems thosecon the left are not good at .
Take responsibility for your use of the English language, you are fucking appalling.
Sorry Pat but if your put reason and facts in front of the caramel that is Blacky, he will melt.
What about people who turn 18 within 12 days of the election? They just have to arbitrarily wait another 3 years despite being of voting age by election day? Fuck that!
No they do not check your facts
Voter suppression move from CoC Govt. before next General Election–ignoring Departmental advice yet again…
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/political/567950/enrolment-changes-could-have-significant-impact-on-democratic-participation-ministry-of-justice
Anyone else find it disturbing for Deputy PM Seymour to refer to NZ citizens as “dropkicks” for exercising their rights as per current enrolment law? His arrogant disdainful attitude shows exactly what he hopes to achieve by limiting enrolment opportunities.
The long slow collapse of the postal system, and widespread rental transience and precarious accomodation situations, means many do not receive their orange envelopes–I have seen them curling up in flat letterboxes and blowing around the streets. So enrolment during early voting and on Election Day itself are a reasonable solution to prevent thousands from being excluded largely through no fault of their own.
Right wingers just love making it hard for people that are historically not “their people” to enrol and vote. However this shakes out, a big campaign will have to be run to persuade the new gen voters to participate in the first General Election where Boomers will not be in numerical superiority.
Yes our current government have very low standards in the way they talk about we the voters .BOTTOM DWELLERS.FRICKEN which is christian for FUCK,WOKE LOSERS ,DROP KICKS are just a few examples .These people have forgotten it is us who elect them and pay their wages .As employees we should perhaps have an employment meeting and hand out some written warnings .3 Strikes and you are gone .
Best comment TM. People renting lose a LOT of mail. Saw into a letterbox recently, a pile of letters probably 20 deep at a unit being renovated after the last tenants were kicked out. Didn’t pry further, not my box or my concern but it indicates that your sighting of the orange envelopes is definitely correct.
Wonder if you see that sight in Epsom, the home of drop-kicks.
Of course, this Coalition of Chaotic Dropkicks wants to manipulate voting. That’s the only way they can be sure of winning, when they have failed so completely, for everyone but a few hundred of the wealthiest people.
They feel awfully threatened don’t they?
Perhaps the idea of Boomer numbers being down now will appeal to the next generation of voters, so that they enroll in a timely way. This govt’s effort aren’t exactly enhancing their chances of living well in NZ/AO
Disgusting stuff but right on for this government. Seymour’s comments I wondered whether there were any ‘drop kicks’ in his own electorate.
Smart politics – middle NZ will support the changes. The big loser is KFC. No more “ finger licking” election day bribes to get the lazy out of bed.
You confirm your idiocy Frankie.
I’m surprised they only increased the non disclosure by $1,000, barely the rate of inflation.
If you can’t be arsed updating or enrolling before the election date then too bad for you. We have the risk of people being herded up by ‘volunteers’ on the day and ‘helped’ through the voting system. In order to vote you have to pay attention and listen to all the false promises, the lies and the bullshit. That’s the price to pay.
Also surprised they didn’t attack early voting and try to restrict the number of polling stations especially in poor areas. Have they learnt nothing from the Republicans.
Another sinister attack by the Right on young people?
“Fundamentally, 16- and 17-year-olds will deal with issues that politicians deliberate on more than any other generation, and we don’t get our voices heard at the highest level with our right to vote, and I think this is the greatest shame of modern democracy.” Thomas Brocherie, for Make It 16
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/political/565596/youth-mps-renew-call-to-lower-voting-age
Currently the age for franchise in this country is 18, How many young people turning 18 on the eve of the election will be prevented from registering to vote by this law change?
This is all part of the Right Wing strategy to weaken our democracy.
We need more democracy not less.
The refusal of the government to consider a referendum on lowering the voting age and censoring the Youth Parliament is part of the same Right Wing’s anti-democracy strategy.
https://thedailyblog.co.nz/2025/07/03/youth-parliament-must-honour-rangatahi-voices-not-manage-them-make-it-16-2/
The proposed referendum for a four year parliamentary and local govt. term is also part of the same strategy. If it passes, someone turning 18 on the eve of the election will not be allowed to vote until they are 22. At 22 they could be drafted into a war by a Right Wing government they never voted for.
Politics is all about pressure. Under pressure from the conservative establishment and permanent heads, and powerful right wing well funded lobbyists, with swipe cards to parliament, Centre Left parties in office tend to have a habit of disapointing their voter base.
In the entire history of New Zealand parliamentary democracy, only two governments have ever been voted out after just one term. and they were both Labour Party governments.
Most New Zealand governments stay in power for two terms. That is six years. The Right want to extend that to 8 years.
The four year term is nothing but a naked grab for more power by the Right. (As if they haven’t got too much already.)
Not only will more Right Wing governments stay in power for longer, we will have fewer chances to vote them out over our life time.
This is not the first time the Right have tried to extend the parliamentary term to give themselves more power by extending the parliamentary term.
New Zealand has held two referendums on extending the parliamentary term to four years, both resulting in the rejection of the proposal. The first was in 1967, and the second was in 1990. Both referendums saw a majority of voters opting to retain the existing three-year term.
We need more democracy, not less.
We must ensure a resounding defeat of the four year term.
From the official website of the New Zealand Government:
5 March 2025
Four-year term legislation takes first step
Hon Paul Goldsmith
Legislation that will enable a four-year term of Parliament subject to a referendum has passed first reading in Parliament today, Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith says.
“As stipulated in the National-Act coalition agreement, the Bill is modelled on the ACT Party’s draft Constitution (Enabling a 4-Year Term) Amendment Bill…..”
Beehive.govt.nz
https://vote.nz/enrolling/get-ready-to-enrol/are-you-eligible-to-enrol-and-vote/
Depends if they change this.
If you’re 17, you can fill out an enrolment form now. On your 18th birthday, we’ll automatically enrol you and you’ll be ready to vote. Easy.
Enrol now
If anything, we should scrap early voting entirely and everyone should have to vote within a 2-3 day window. As it is now we lose the ability to hold politician’s feet to the fire up to the polling day.
I feel you are right Alex.
And look at the up roar because the Maori people are being proactive around getting people enrolled .The anti Maori ,maori P otaka was have a big cry the other day because his white masters told him it was unfair they were doing that because it might mean less votes for them and they may lose their seat at the trough .
And let’s be clear… neither the $5,000 or $6,000 ‘limits’ on anonymous donations are real. When you get to characters like David Cumin, they aren’t just donating as themselves, they’re funnelling money through relatives and others taking a payoff to pass money on.
Hey rat brain, have you heard from those people who turned 18 a day or two before the elections?
They’ve been all over the media…
Maybe you weren’t paying attention and should therefore be banned from voting due to a having a high level of ignorance and not having a functioning brain.
Sauce for goose and gander mother fucker!
If you’re 17, you can fill out an enrolment form now. On your 18th birthday, we’ll automatically enrol you and you’ll be ready to vote. Easy.
Enrol now
Every vote counts, so, mine died
Luxon knows how
If that were my-manda, would care
She would not be snuffed out
He could
He won’t
RESIGN
Democracy is for sharing; this lot don’t
This Gerry Mander – is he the big guy in the talkfest? And does he know about AI and sort out the submissions? I sure as hell don’t – hope someone does.
Perhaps he would know what to do about Jacqueline – primed to go off at the mention of Winston or Peters or any in CoC gummint but what about the Greens, women , Te Maori Party; prompt words – resign or ?whatever.
Gerry Mander’s other name is Baldilocks whom you may have heard of.
So Gerry Mander is the so-called leader and Gerry Brownlee is the deputy. They are a couple Gerries or jerries.
Not Germans, the other sort.
About AI:
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/political/568008/how-and-why-artificial-intelligence-is-being-used-to-process-your-submissions-to-politicians
Tens of thousands of public submissions come in every year to bills before Parliament and to local government entities…
With large-scale campaigns and website submission forms, the ability to speak out is easier than ever – but that’s causing a problem on the other end of the system, where planners and politicians can struggle to keep up…What a piece of work is man
How noble in reason
How infinite in faculties…
See further.
https://genius.com/Paris-remillard-maya-sharpe-gavin-creel-and-hair-tribe-what-a-piece-of-work-is-man-how-dare-they-try-lyrics
(End) TRIBE – How dare they try to end this beauty?
How dare they try to end this beauty?
Walking in space
We find the purpose of peace
The beauty of life
You can no longer hide
Our eyes are open
Our eyes are open
Our eyes are open
Our eyes are open
Wide wide wide
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/political/568008/how-and-why-artificial-intelligence-is-being-used-to-process-your-submissions-to-politicians
Well, if tilting the playing field in your favour works for the GOP in the US, I guess NACT are totally cool with giving it a go here. I’m sure the fact that it’ll disproportionately affect those who tend to vote for opposition parties is just a happy coincidence… right? They know they’re on a hiding to being a one term government, and this is their way of trying to claw back some traction.
Mmmmm. Let’s get this right. Letting disorganised people cause delay in the queue on election day because they can (unlike in many countries we compare ourselves with) is undemocratic. It hurts the left. Letting 16 year olds vote is democratic. It helps the left. Who gets the hypocrisy of the year award: drum roll TDB.
See below
Mmmmm. Let’s get this right. Stopping disorganised people cause delay in the queue on election day because they can (unlike in many countries we compare ourselves with) is undemocratic. It hurts the left. Letting 16 year olds vote is democratic. It helps the left. Who gets the hypocrisy of the year award: drum roll TDB.
If you are so disorganised that you are in the queue being delayed on election day, with all those who didn’t get enrolled earlier, you are just as disorganised as them. Vote early.
Can someone please explain who gave the mandate to this government to prevent any eligible voter from voting. What’s democratic about that
Exactly, they have no mandate but that’s what dictatorship governments do.
Now we’ll wait for a statement along the lines of, ‘Just get out and vote this one last time, and then we’ll fix it so you never have to do it again’. Remember that from Rump, last year.
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