This hard right Government manage to take recommendations on democracy and pick options that only amplify the powerful
The point of the Independent Electoral Review was to look at election rule changes to increase our democratic participation, not reinforce existing privileges, which is hilariously what National have immediately seized upon.
Goldsmith ruled out action on some recommendations, including:
- Lowering the voting age to 16
- Allowing all prisoners to vote and stand for Parliament
- Freezing the ratio of electorate to list seats, which would lead to an increase in the number of MPs over time
- Repealing the offence of ‘treating’ voters with refreshments and entertainment.
16 and 17 year olds should have the right to vote because taxation without representation is the greatest sin. They will deal with the realities of climate change while boomers don’t give a fuck about climate change because they’ll be dead before the worst of it. If 16 and 17 year olds gained the vote, the Party’s would have to listen to their concerns.
This is a good thing!
Getting young people involved in politics early is a positive, not a negative, and don’t tell me 16 and 17 year olds aren’t mature enough to vote, I know lots of Boomers who are still too immature to vote!
Prisoners have intrinsic human rights and seeing as their entire environment is controlled by the State they should be able to vote and stand for Parliament.
Freezing the ratio will only hurt representation and the right resent any attempts to ‘incentivise’ voting.
Hilariously the only thing National and ACT will support is extending the electoral term from 3 years to 4 years which is ridiculous because as a single chamber, the NZ Parliament is the most powerful in the Westminster System, no where else can you simply read a bill into law like you can in NZ.
Why give politicians an extra year when they already have so much power?
This hard right Government manage to take recommendations on democracy and pick options that only amplify the powerful.
This is what we is now.
This is who we are.
A Settler Nation with entrenched white settler 19th century privileges masquerading as egalitarianism.
How quickly things have changed in a mere 3 months.
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If 16 and 17 year olds working full time , paying tax and aren’t allowed to vote, then we are living under a tyrant government. The fact this recommendation was immediately dismissed by Goldsmith only confirms it.
The left push these ideas which are so out of step with most voters I believe and so is another reason for them losing office
John Keys government introduced paye on paper boys and girls. These ideas were to promote balance, paper boys and girls were dictatored too, they had no choice Disgusting.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/budget-2012-paper-boy-tax-on-small-earnings-stuns-labour/CWSXYXKI2SUGI4NO5RMW5E5ULE/
But most voters, who are doing ‘all right’, only want one change – less tax – and are out of step with everything else. Stop reciting those tired little trite phrases Trevor – I saw something from you the other day that proves you have been thinking, you secretive one!
Come on let’s have more smart stuff.
“boomers don’t give a fuck about climate change because they’ll be dead before the worst of it”
Jeez Bomber! Stupid generalisations like that don’t do much for your credibility.
Some boomers have been giving a fuck about it for over half a century now.
Repealing the offence of ‘treating’ voters with refreshments and entertainment.
The Circus rules – and don’t you forget it.
“Independent” ????
I have an idea. How about NZ adopt a federal constitution with our regions becoming Aussie/US style states, Canadian style provinces or Swiss style cantons? Central government would only look after immigration, trade, foreign affairs and defence.
Some examples could be Auckland could become a city-state province with very few trade restrictions, befitting its position as New Zealand’s major trading centre.
Wellington could become a federal capital like the ACT in Australia, or Washington DC in America, in which representatives of the provinces would meet to pass federal laws. It may or may not also have a government just for Wellington Province. This would ensure there was a minimum of disruption for Wellington and for the remaining central government in the transition to decentralisation.
Tuhoe, who have always claimed independence on the grounds that they did not sign the Treaty of Waitangi, could become a self-governing province. They would only be subject to federal law, and would otherwise have the freedom to set their own cultural agenda.
Nelson and Westland provinces could legalise cannabis and grow it on a wide scale, as well as legalise cannabis cafes that serviced both the local and the tourist markets.
What do you reckon?