tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3753486518085091399.post8900479132097052765..comments2024-03-29T11:07:51.893+13:00Comments on Bowalley Road: Braving The SnowChris Trotterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09081613281183460899noreply@blogger.comBlogger14125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3753486518085091399.post-84164064247167203952012-05-03T15:37:45.711+12:002012-05-03T15:37:45.711+12:00Love your snowstorm anecdote Chris
Radio NZ's...Love your snowstorm anecdote Chris<br /><br />Radio NZ's latest Insight programme is on the voter turnout. I was surprised to hear Nigel Roberts pooh-pooh online voting on the grounds that going into a polling booth gives the voter ultimate power and privacy, unlike someone hovering over you at the computer telling you what to do.<br /><br />In this day and age we should be able to use online technology to cast our vote. If it can be done for banking, why not for voting.Russellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03296195080787657751noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3753486518085091399.post-29882675216992445242012-05-03T12:06:22.973+12:002012-05-03T12:06:22.973+12:00"The MSM have a lot to answer for in turning ..."The MSM have a lot to answer for in turning people off from voting."<br /><br />That's unfair. The news is the way it is because that is how you get the maximum number of viewers. Similarly, big budget films are typically awful because that's the sort of thing that a lot of people will pay to watch (even people who would like something better will often stoop to going).<br /><br />If you want real news to have some definite effect on politics, you will have to get people to watch it, and since that will involve making people listen to things that they would rather not hear, you will have a tough time doing that.<br /><br />News used to be better because people had no real alternative but to watch it. Now that they have a choice, it sucks.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3753486518085091399.post-33296762782756757412012-05-02T17:45:39.034+12:002012-05-02T17:45:39.034+12:00You make a good case, LozYou make a good case, LozVictornoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3753486518085091399.post-59683556879278167092012-05-02T14:13:23.378+12:002012-05-02T14:13:23.378+12:00The MSM have a lot to answer for in turning peopl...The MSM have a lot to answer for in turning people off from voting.<br />They have assumed a role to which they are not competent - they lack the skill of fair balance - 30 second soundbites only. Without the MSM Winston would not have been in Parliament (I don't think he ever expected to).<br />The major newspapers in New Zealand are seriously losing their circulation - and no wonder when they get a story, do not check their facts, and go hell for leather, irrespective of consequences. Copy is all that metters, and the standard (as repeaters) has gone below the belt line often in this direction.Paulusnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3753486518085091399.post-38893922826935912882012-05-02T12:48:59.743+12:002012-05-02T12:48:59.743+12:00Perhaps we should do what the French do. Ban all p...Perhaps we should do what the French do. Ban all polls for a period before an election. That would stop the media steering that went on before the last one here.Sparkynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3753486518085091399.post-75798104840735410042012-05-02T11:57:40.315+12:002012-05-02T11:57:40.315+12:00Over the past 40 years, three of the four biggest ...Over the past 40 years, three of the four biggest decreases in electoral participation have occurred after the first term of Labour governments. The masses have always “walked” when their party betrayed their hopes and trust. The 1984-1990 Labour government holds the record for the most kiwis walking away from the political process with an increased 8.5% of electors opting to not vote in 1990. <br /> <br />The largest desertion of electors over a single parliamentary term occurred after the Labour / Alliance coalition term of 1999-2002 with 7.8% staying away from the polls. The only time that a similar drop in participation occurred was in 1951 where an additional 7.6% decided not to vote and dissatisfaction with Labour sharply increased while being in opposition. <br /> <br />Since the 1940's the non-vote has almost exclusively increased as a disillusioned or angry response to Labour - not National. The greatest increase in participation occurred during the Muldoon years with an additional 10.5% of the population voting in 1984 than had in 1975 (although turnout increased progressively in every election of that period). Under Holyoake and Bolger’s respective governments there was almost no change with the overall vote. Until now, when the non-vote is looked at in relation to governments of the past 70 years, the top 3 periods of significant increases in “non-vote” took place under Labour governments.<br /> <br />Internationally, the largest increase in "non-vote" in the history of the UK occurred after Tony Blair's first term when 12% of the voting population decided not to bother again. It’s no coincidence that voters have been walking away from Labour when they throw-in-the-towel on the whole system.<br /> <br />National's share of the available vote in 2011 was 34.5%, in 1981 it was 34.3% and in 1978 was 33.6%. National's share of the votes roughly the same as it was 30 years ago. Similarly, in 1984, Labour attracted 39.3% of the available vote. In 1969 Labour received 39.4%, 1960 was 38.8%, 1950 was 40.4%. Until 1984, Labour's share of the vote was as constant as National's. <br /> <br />Only since Rogernomics has Labour's vote has been collapsing at a proportional rate to kiwis turning off politics completely. In 1990, support for the party had dropped to 29.1% of the available vote. It dropped to 26% in 2008 and was only 20% support last year. <br />The Electoral Commission survey into New Zealanders not voting had a full third stating that they don't trust politicians. With most of this "non-vote being ripped out of Labour's support base it should be clear that it's the politicians of the left who hold responsibility for the situation we are currently in. <br /> <br />LozAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3753486518085091399.post-65522964877823570732012-05-02T07:38:02.565+12:002012-05-02T07:38:02.565+12:00Very simple really. When 57 polls and dozens of s...Very simple really. When 57 polls and dozens of supporting commentaries keep insisting that one party is unbeatable, then it is not only perfectly correct to conclude that one's single vote will make no difference, but perfectly logical to eschew the fruitless effort of voting. <br /><br />It's the result and nauseating irony of mass indoctrination of individualism.<br /><br />akAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3753486518085091399.post-81630382653225824452012-05-02T07:27:08.879+12:002012-05-02T07:27:08.879+12:00"Perhaps it has something to do with too many..."Perhaps it has something to do with too many people these days having no sense of responsibility for anything."<br /><br />More likely the don't see themselves as able to make a difference. Justifiable cynicism I call it. Or votercide :-).guerilla surgeonnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3753486518085091399.post-77491376714963363662012-05-02T06:28:46.870+12:002012-05-02T06:28:46.870+12:00@KjT
If you think Muldoon and ACT are the same th...@KjT<br /><br />If you think Muldoon and ACT are the same thing I can only deduce that you divide the world into 'Labour' & 'Not Labour', sophisticated thinking at work there.cheesefunnelnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3753486518085091399.post-34617053707405737982012-05-01T19:13:40.055+12:002012-05-01T19:13:40.055+12:00Perhaps it has something to do with too many peopl...Perhaps it has something to do with too many people these days having no sense of responsibility for anything.Adolf Fiinkenseinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08045358863278087055noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3753486518085091399.post-11114713819834921422012-05-01T19:10:34.370+12:002012-05-01T19:10:34.370+12:00Swapped Muldoon for ACT. If only we knew. Come bac...Swapped Muldoon for ACT. If only we knew. Come back Rob all is forgiven!KjThttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13583435107822078614noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3753486518085091399.post-60857258794918362962012-05-01T13:15:25.312+12:002012-05-01T13:15:25.312+12:00Those were the days my friend! But we have an almo...Those were the days my friend! But we have an almost revolution ahead of us when an old fellow like myself, not yet on a walking stick, will brave the wind and rain in Lower Hutt to struggle to our nearest polling booth at Taita Central School in Churton Crescent, Taita. You betcha I will!!<br /><br />I give David Shearer until the end of the years to get his act together, to learn a bit of oratory, and to put some policy forward.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05952914908453937218noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3753486518085091399.post-5585767578961068512012-05-01T13:12:29.688+12:002012-05-01T13:12:29.688+12:00I think we have to beware of single cause explanat...I think we have to beware of single cause explanations for the decline in the percentage of New Zealanders voting.<br /><br />The lack of clear ideological differentiation between major parties may well be one of the causes. Likewise the smaller role ascribed to Government, which therefore appears less relevant to the lives of the citizenry than heretofore.<br /><br />But I strongly suspect that there are other factors at work. For example, we live in a culture of distraction, with our one-time national or communal conversations fragmented by technology, along with our attention spans. <br /><br />And we are also a country that has undergone profound demographic change. This is particularly true of Auckland but also, to some extent, of much of the rest of New Zealand.<br /><br />Not all of our immigrants come from places where participation in free elections is the norm. Others do. However, the messages put out by our traditional political tribes may nevertheless lack resonance for them. <br /><br />In addition, people work longer and harder than in the benign decades of the late mid-century. Their minds are cluttered with responsibilities and with infinite but inescapable trivia. They may just be too tired or preoccupied to vote.<br /><br />And we're increasingly losing a sense of the community as a patchwork of clubs, societies and other outlets for voluntary effort. This was hitherto one of New Zealand's glories and a natural school of good citizenship.<br /><br />What is to be done? How do we restore the concept of active participation in the nation's governance? Perhaps the whole concept is outdated. But I certainly hope not.<br /><br />And, if it's any comfort, our voter turnout is still reasonably respectable by global standards.Victornoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3753486518085091399.post-69261005440650832332012-05-01T12:09:24.349+12:002012-05-01T12:09:24.349+12:00Is this "blame the politicians" again? I...Is this "blame the politicians" again? If so, it is unfair as none of this is their fault. <br /><br />You cannot realistically win a modern election without expensive and detailed polling that allows you to formulate an electable "brand" for your party. You just can't do it, because if you don't, the other side will and you will get hammered.<br /><br />So it's no surprise that political parties end up like fast food: bland, same-y, not particularly nutritious and just inoffensive enough for most people to put up with. <br /><br />This is just what democracy looks like and there is no reasonable way of changing it. You can't change the customers and nobody wants to change the system, so McDonalds it is.<br /><br />I don't vote. Then again, I don't eat at McDonalds either.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com