[Milliemoo]

I've only just glanced at the budget, but it got me thinking about what I actually know about politics in NZ. The answer being, hardly anything!

Can anyone give me some facts about each of the main parties. I know everyone seems to hate Labour, but I can remember reading something about how people have very short memories because it was atrocious under National last time round.

What I really need is say a top ten of key FACTS about each party and then at least that might spur me on to look into certain elements that I feel are personal to me.

Any ideas? Any good sites to look at. I really want facts not opinions though.

Milliemoo

[James 1077]

I was thinking the same as I'm not sure on all that many policies either and there are a silly number of parties out there!

I'm a right-wing libertarian under the various political tests so general believe in a small state with low taxation, low benefits but with increased incentives for working and governments doing as little as they possibly can with respect to non-core business; while ensuring that people are free to do anything that they would like provided it doesn't impact directly on the lives or wellbeing of others.

I've only really started looking but found this (http://www.act.org.nz/files/pledge/20pointplan.pdf)on ACT which seems to cover their policies. I must say I agree with most of them but will probably vote National to ensure that things shift to the right!

[Carol]

Dont forget - you have to vote twice!
Once for the candidate and once for the party.....


Just to make it even harder for you!

:nice1

[Tia Maria]

I thought I'd give this thread a bump, as I'd like to make an informed choice rather than voting for Helen Clarke just because she seems to drink in Devonport a lot! (I think she has a niece in the navy or something...)

So even if you come across a good link or interesting bit in the paper, let us know what you find out!

Of course you may already be well aware of where the different parties stand, in which case fill me in please! :D

Cheers

Tia

[KerryS]

The system here is a tad confusing, because, under MMP you have to vote twice - once for the candidate in your electorate, and once for the party.
If a party gains more than half the 120 seats in Parliament at a general election it can form a majority government by itself.
If no one party has an outright majority of MPs, two or more parties with a combined majority of seats can form a majority coalition government. If no one party has an outright majority and no majority coalition can be agreed upon, one or more parties can form a minority government with the support of other parties outside the government.

This is the state of the current government, which was formed in 2005 as a coalition of Labour, Progressive, New Zealand First and United Future.

Most of the main parties have their policies on their websites - the main parties are:
Labour - Centre left and socially liberal.
National - Centre right and conservative.
New Zealand First - Conservative, Nationalist. Want to preserve NZ's culture by reducing immigration; bring crime under control by increasing judicial sentencing; and reduce payments made under the Treaty of Waitangi.
Green Party - focus on green policies and environmentalism.
United Future - Centrist, formed from the old Christian democratic FutureNZ and the centrist UnitedNZ
ACT - Free market liberals, with a philosophy of individual freedom and personal responsibility.
Progressive - Moderately left wing with a focus on job creation and full employment.
Maori - founded in 2004 over the Seabed and Foreshore vote.
Alliance (currently holds no seats in NZ parliament but was once the 3rd largest party)
(Disclaimer - all info is from Wiki not my opinion, - there is much more to be read on each of their respective websites, but far too much to write here.)

You also get other smaller parties and individual candidates standing - Destiny Church were one that had several candidates at the last election.

As I knew very little last time, I asked each candidate in my electorate for their manifesto, and also got the main party manifestos to read, which helped quite a bit.

[Tia Maria]

Wow thanks Kerry! :nice1

I'd been kind of combining National and NZ first together in my mind and wasn't even aware of Progressive ..... bit more research methinks!

Cheers

Tia

[BaldyBeardyBloke]

Link to all registered political parties websites.

http://www.elections.org.nz/record/registers/registered-political-parties.html#gen0

Also may be of interest - overview of NZs system of government

http://www.elections.org.nz/democracy/system-of-government.html

Getting all this from 'elections' website

http://www.elections.org.nz/

Lots of interesting stuff on there.

[Caroline and Dave]

Oh dear, No Monster Raving Loony Party ( Or is that Helen Clarke in Disguise?) What am I going to do ? :uhoh

[BaldyBeardyBloke]

Start one.

Cheese Puff Lunacy Alliance or something.

[StevieD]

Oh dear, No Monster Raving Loony Party ( Or is that Helen Clarke in Disguise?) What am I going to do ? :uhoh

No, this is no disguise she really looks like this :laugh:laugh:laugh

[cappuccino]

We should start an Immigrants Political Party - that would surely get a lot of votes if we had good policies

[BaldyBeardyBloke]

Yay.

Cheap cheese
Mandatory insulation and central heating
Mother In Law visits illegal
Free Broadband for all
18 weeks holiday a year
Free healthcare for all
PR for Leccy-Lee
Existing PR holders get to select new immigrants

[slider]

Yay.

Cheap cheese
Mandatory insulation and central heating
Mother In Law visits illegal
Free Broadband for all
18 weeks holiday a year
Free healthcare for all
PR for Leccy-Lee
Existing PR holders get to select new immigrants

:laugh Brilliant
BBB for PM :nice1

[andrewp]

:laugh Brilliant
BBB for PM :nice1

Here here :clap:nice1

[lnz]

Thanks for the links. Very interesting!

I hadn't realised that you could vote as a permanent resident and don't have to be a citizen. Does this mean that you can also be selected for Jury Duty as a PR?

I lived in the US for 5 years and was selected for Jury duty from the driving licence register. They didn't let me serve, though, as I wasn't a citizen.

Are NZ jurors selected from the electoral roll or from some other list?

[Kiwi-In-Texas]

Jury Service in New Zealand.... Names are selected at random from the Electrol Roll.





Suzanne.

[Tia Maria]

Thanks for the links. Very interesting!

I hadn't realised that you could vote as a permanent resident and don't have to be a citizen. Does this mean that you can also be selected for Jury Duty as a PR?

I lived in the US for 5 years and was selected for Jury duty from the driving licence register. They didn't let me serve, though, as I wasn't a citizen.

Are NZ jurors selected from the electoral roll or from some other list?

Yes, I was selected for Jury service in the first year of being in NZ, we have PR.

Cheers

Tia

[wiki]

Thanks for the links. Very interesting!

I hadn't realised that you could vote as a permanent resident and don't have to be a citizen. Does this mean that you can also be selected for Jury Duty as a PR?

I lived in the US for 5 years and was selected for Jury duty from the driving licence register. They didn't let me serve, though, as I wasn't a citizen.

Are NZ jurors selected from the electoral roll or from some other list?

OH is serving on a jury this week. Today was the first day.

She's only been in the country for seven months on PR, and on the roll for about three months!

I'm gutted as never been called, let alone selected... but there is little chance they'd let me serve since I'm a journalist. I'm very jealous of OH

[dharder]

She's only been in the country for seven months on PR, and on the roll for about three months!

How did she get on the electoral roll after a few months? I was told I'd need to be a resident for 12 months with PR if I want to vote.

I'm want to vote, too!

Daniela

[wiki]

How did she get on the electoral roll after a few months? I was told I'd need to be a resident for 12 months with PR if I want to vote.

I'm want to vote, too!

Daniela

We were told at our local council it was only six months - she filled out the form with the length of time at our current address, and the previous address as the UK and no one challenged those dates.

Looking online now, it does seem to be 12 months. - so technically, that's all highly illegal!

[dharder]

Looking online now, it does seem to be 12 months. - so technically, that's all highly illegal!

Lucky her :) But I managed to vote for Tony back in 1997, got a poll card in the mail, even though I wasn't technically allowed... This would have been the first general election in the UK I could have voted in, and I'm not there... (will have to do a postal vote).

Thanks for checking, wiki.

Daniela

[Caroline and Dave]

Well.the time is looming and I am no wiser as to who to vote for. Each party seem to have their bad points and it seems to be getting worse.
The Winston Peters thing is a huge joke and is dragging on and on. Now today they have bought someone in with the name of Mr Crapper. Is this for real I ask?
National seem to have hidden agendas which Key keeps squashing but its his own ministers saying these things. Or is it a case of better the devil you know?

[James 1077]

National seem to have hidden agendas which Key keeps squashing but its his own ministers saying these things. Or is it a case of better the devil you know?

To be fair I think that all parties have hidden agendas - National just aren't very good at keeping their's hidden! :)

I've decided what I'm doing - National for my candidate vote and ACT for my party vote. ACT seem to be closest to my political views but the National candidate is more likely to win our area and I want to help make sure that this happens!

[Tia Maria]

ACT want to create a 'competitive market' in education and health - what does that mean?

Cheers

Tia

[dharder]

ACT want to create a 'competitive market' in education and health - what does that mean?

Nothing good, inmho.

Daniela

[James 1077]

ACT want to create a 'competitive market' in education and health - what does that mean?

Cheers

Tia

Education-wise I think that they want to go for the Scandanvian system of "education vouchers" provided to families so that they can take their children anywhere. Schools will have to provide education at the cost of the voucher (so you don't have to top up) and abiding by the National Curriculum but they will be free to decide how they go about doing it and won't have state interference (ie companies / charities could be set up to build / own / operate schools - they would compete with each other for pupils and schools that parents don't want to send their kids to would end up going out of business).

The system was set up in Sweden (I think) and it really improved the quality of education there.

Health-wise I'm not as sure but I see this as a privatisation of the health system with the government funding health insurance for everyone. Again you are free to decide where / when you want your operation and hospitals will compete to get your business. Again probably through a mixture of companies and charities (but probably some state / local authority provision as well). Under this sort of system there are funding caps where the government won't fund more than $X per operation but, similarly, the hospital must provide the operation for that cost within set time limits and to set conditions. If the hospital wants to charge more then it may and in return you get faster treatment / better rooms etc but if you don't want to pay the extra then they can't not give you the treatment.

I want to get some more info on these before deciding to votefor ACT for certain but this is how I see it working - and is precisely how I think that this sort of thing should work!