the things that really matter
Here in New Zealand there’s an election next weekend.
And last night I spent twenty minutes on the phone to a pollster. I thought I’d go with the flow for a bit and see if I could figure out on whose behalf the poll was being taken. And for a while, at least two thirds of the time, it was all pretty much impartial. Towards the end though, the questions got rather more pointed, and my guess is that pollster’s clients were the Labour Party.
This was a little disappointing, as my ego preferred that my opinions be reported in aggregate in a large media outlet rather than be pored over by the backroom political gnomes.
So I’ll spill here instead. I know no-one wants to hear what my views are, but I don’t care. It’s my website.
I’m probably a natural centre-left voter, quite happy with the idea of income redistribution through taxation. It seems to work OK in New Zealand at the moment: very few people starve or lack for housing. I think of it as a social obligation that people more well off should lend assistance to those less fortunate than themselves, and a structure to do this based on the state is the best way to achieve this assistance. I also believe that provision of free education and health services are a responsibility of the state.
So I’m not so keen on the centre-right National Party, despite their large tax cut policy that would enrich our family by several thousand dollars per year. I can’t help suspecting that the money has to come from somewhere, and that somewhere would be health, education and welfare.
But I’m also not so keen on the Labour Party, whose government, while efficient and (grudgingly) generally OK by my standards, seems overly arrogant and cold. They’ve been in power too long, but unfortunately the major alternatives aren’t that crash hot, to be honest.
- ACT – right wing nutters. Nicely socially liberal, but too right-wing doctrinaire on fiscal matters. And irrelevant now anyway, as their support has defected to National.
- New Zealand First – yeah, right. I would love to find a photo of those election posters of Winston Peters with the bizzaro pose, defaced so that a noxious plume is being emitted from his arse. (The noxious plume being his policies.)
- United Future – religious fundamentalists in drag. Like they’d get my vote.
- Progressives – sorry, but who?
- Māori Party – I don’t think I’m in their target demographic. :-)
That leaves only one other serious contender for my vote: the Greens.
For me the Greens transcend the left / right thing: the environment we live in, and the preservation of it for us and our descendants, is, like their slogan suggests, one of the things that really matter. Global Warming, the coming energy crisis, decreasing biodiversity: issues like this have me really worried.
The funny thing is that I don’t necessarily agree with all of their policies, and some of their spokespeople can seem, er, rather individual. But I don’t think this matters in the big picture. For me voting Green is not necessarily an endorsement of every single policy they have, but rather a way to make sure that there’s more of a green and environmentally conscious flavour in any centre-left government that may arise after next Saturday.
That’s because of our proportional representational system: with votes like mine the Greens should hopefully get seven or so seats in Parliament and therefore become a voting bloc that any larger party needs to be aware of. And assuming the Labour Party achieve the votes they’re after, they’ll still need the Greens to form a majority in Parliament, which will hopefully mean that we’ll have a centre-left government with a green flavour that will be influencing where appropriate, without taking over.
I also think it’s interesting that in the particular electorate I live in, Wellington Central, this type of thinking appears to be relatively common. Despite it’s relative affluence (usually a marker for centre-right voting), it’s usually the highest Green polling electorate. There’s a demographic study in there somewhere.
So there you have it. My vague political views: more than you really wanted to know.
Martha
10 September 2005, 21:55 #
I’m happy to read your views. As long as they match mine, I’m happy to read anyone’s views really.
I’m still a bit frightened to vote Green, just in case Labour doesn’t make it, and then the Greens would be nowhere too.
Ben
10 September 2005, 22:39 #
I certainly like some of the foundations of Greens. The whole concept that we are limited to this planet, so we should attempt not to screw it over, as that ultimately screws us over!
So while people moan about the Greens talking about things like Global Warming, the truth is its happening and while it might be inconvient to do something about it now, its cgoing to be a lot more inconvieient to live in the future if we don’t!
However its some of the Green’s extra views that taint the image for me. Why does it go hand in hand with smoking pot? Seems odd to me, and hardly inline with their health policies.
Their immigration policies leave a lot to be desired.
No I don’t want to say “close the doors to NZ” and not let anyone in, however I do believe that it is most prudent to actually check up on new commers. The Greens seem to think it is an affront to human dignity to even suggest that someone coming in under the guise of refugee may just be a terrorist. So removing all power to actaulyl inviestgate seems just plain stupid.
I too am hoping for a Labour led goverment, but with a Green influence. They need to be in, just not the majority!
Ben.
Alan
11 September 2005, 06:58 #
Martha: you need to think in MMP terms – voting for the Greens will not reduce the chances of a Labour Government as the two parties seem to work together quite well now, and will continue to do so. So a vote for the Greens is effectively still a vote for a centre-left government.
Ben: couldn’t agree more. It’s more the influence I’m after, not necessarily the implementation of all their policies.
Their platform is a little incomplete too: I’m still trying to find their defence policy – the effects of global warming are going to lead to some difficult times and we’ll find ourselves needing our armed forces a lot more, maybe even for defence. :-)
Martha
11 September 2005, 10:18 #
As I understand it the Governor General invites one of the major parties to form a government, based on their majority in the election. So unless the Greens actually join Labour pre-election, it is still possible that National will be the one invited to form a government first.
Alan
11 September 2005, 13:02 #
I’m not sure if I agree – but I don’t know enough about how that bit works to be sure.
I would have thought that the G-G will meet first with whoever can collect together the largest number of seats in a viable (majority) grouping. But your slightly narrower view of it being the majority party is suggested by this page.
Martha
11 September 2005, 14:26 #
I’m not certain of the detail either, and I will endeavour to find out this week.
Alan
11 September 2005, 16:19 #
Frogblog reports the advice of Matt McCarten in the Herald on Sunday on the matter – which more or less is what I was thinking…
Ben
11 September 2005, 19:30 #
My summary of the Green’s defense policy:
“Bend over and spread legs”
Sadly too many people in this country think we shouldn’t have a defense force at all, and that we simply need to be “nice” and everyone will love us and not think of doing something unplesant.
Martha
11 September 2005, 19:33 #
Thanks for the link Alan. I had a bit of a squizz myself, and I’m quite surprised how little info there is on the subject.
Of course I should know. I was studying politics when the whole MMP thing happened, and wrote untold essays about it. Unfortunately I was usually at the bar writing these essays, and for the life of me I can’t remember what I said.
Brian
12 September 2005, 09:17 #
I tend to agree (strongly) with you on the subject of National and their proposed tax cuts. I’ve spent the last three years listening to a long list of projects that have been cancelled, postponed or generally stalled due to lack of funding – while newpaper articles regularly appear on the subject of a patient who is at deaths door due to lack of treatment. (and don’t get me started on the education system, student loans, and the universities in general).
Then National are trying to tell us that what we actually need is less money spent on the country, and more in our own pockets…. and that’s going to improve things how???
I’ve always said that I don’t mind paying tax – if it gets spent on things that matter – like health, & education.
stephen
12 September 2005, 09:52 #
Scarily close to my own views, Alan. Also contemplating a Green vote as a way to stay left without voting Labour, who have really lost all my sympathy for various reasons that probably belong on my own blog.
The Greens’ determined anti-science irrationality gives me pause, but I tend to think that it will be softened and moderated by collisions with public servants and their Labour colleagues.
llew
12 September 2005, 10:39 #
I think I’m pretty much in concurrence Alan.
And Ben, don’t worry about cannibis, while some in the Greens may espouse the view it should be legalised, it ain’t gonna happen unless they become the highest polling party.
But ALan, wotcha doing with your electorate vote? I went & listened to the candidates last night…
I’m now decided.
Man, a lot of weirdos attend those things :)
Alan
12 September 2005, 13:19 #
Ben: I used to be one of those anti-armed forces people. I’ve been reading too much history in the last few years for that to be a sustainable view for me.
Brian: I remember 1991 too.
Stephen: yeah, irrationality, I know what you mean. Which leads me into Llew’s comment and my views on the local green candidate for Wellington Central. But as you say, I would expect any rough edges will get knocked off the green policies on contact with government.
ben.run
12 September 2005, 19:19 #
I’m lucky to be in Ohariu-Belmont electorate, which means Peter Dunne as an MP. He will get my electorate vote. While I have no intrest in the United Future party, Peter Dunne makes a good local MP. He actually takes an interest in his electorate and is often at comnunity events. He is definaterly the type of MP you want for local electorate. Not someone who has a house in the district so they can run for MP there but has no interest in being there.
The wonderful thing with MMP is that you can vote for someone you would like to represnt your electorate without affecting who you want to vote for for Government.
Ben.
llew
13 September 2005, 15:56 #
Yes, that’s one of the good things about MMP.
Interesting times for the people of Tauranga, with that in mind.
Alan
13 September 2005, 20:34 #
Frogblog has some more on the formation of governments in New Zealand here.
Martha
13 September 2005, 21:44 #
That link is great, although our eyes are spinning trying to establish what it all MEANS. What if Rodney wins Epsom? And Winston Tauranga? I certainly don’t trust him to do anything predictable, and in a close situation I doubt anyone would stick by anything they said before votes were cast (including Helen and Don).
Bloody interesting indeed.
ben.run
14 September 2005, 13:51 #
Martha, I think Don can be trusted in sticking with what he said. He has said how he will screw the country for the benefit of a few. I throughly trust that he will do this if he gets elected.