Vote for Change has become a shallow prize giveaway gameshow
Has anyone else noticed that the Anti MMP group, ‘Vote for Change’ are simply becoming a prize giveaway game show? I’m not sure how handing out I-tune vouchers and Ipad 2’s helps expand public debate about MMP when the Vote For Change spokesperson Jordan Williams does all he can to escape any actual interviews, but shouldn’t the anti-MMP group be, oh I don’t know, actually debating the issue rather than simply trying to bribe young people through twitter giveaways? Ever since I outed one of their founding members as a white supremacist, their media campaign has resembled more like a lotto big Wednesday advert with more prizes to give away than the price is right than a public information campaign discussing to merits of our electoral system. It’s like entrusting game show contestants to conduct open heart surgery, shouldn’t we have a more adult discussion on this issue rather than the bribe-a-thon Vote for Change are currently conducting. Dump the prize giveaways and front the debate, free X-box’s and I-phones are not a reason to dump MMP.
posted by Bomber @ 7:59 am
4 comments
4 Comments:
Absolutely correct Martyn, and I am glad you are highlighting this. Jordan Williams and co. have been unable to demonstrate how any of the proposed alternative systems can serve us better. Their motivation is greed - they want to distort the system to give the wealthy more say. The process going on in Epsom is similarly motivated. They believe an investment in game shows and inappropriate propaganda will have a big pay-off if they win. We may have hoped for higher ethical standards from those claiming that they are wanting the best for New Zealand - in reality I believe they want what is most profitable for themselves personally.
Unfortunately the way the referendum question is worded is similar to the one on crime and punishment several elections back.
It will have most kiwis go all feel good & tick the box the fpp'ers want.
Then they will realise too late that they have given Tories, whose chances of winning 50%+ fair and square only occur about 3 times a century, when the social democrats have just become too unpopular; the perfect opportunity to recreate a Muldoon style dictatorship of the gerrymander.
Will the Maori Party wake up and realise that the changes that the Nats want will allow them to keep protected Maori seats, but will make them electorally irrelevant because the two major parties' dependence on the minor parties will have been shattered?
Since Act has been taken over by the Nats' very own loony righties they will happily commit hari kari by legislating themselves out of existence.
If Peter Dunne wins this time round it will be the last so he will jump at the chance to swap the opportunity for anyone else to be as corrupt and self serving as he has been by voting behind the anti-democratic changes in exchange for a cushy number like High Commissioner to London.
The Maori Party is the last hope for democracy. They will become irrelevant if MMP is gutted. Citizen anger at Maori keeping Maori seats but every other NZer outside the mainstream loses representation, would incite a backlash.
A backlash sufficient that a gerry-mandered Nat majority then abolishes the Maori seats. If Maori are the last group standing with a voice in Parliament, eventually a shonky so blatant that even humanist kiwis are pissed would get up.
No aspersions on Maori, it is just reality that eventually the mean spirited society the Nats want, will cause Tangata Whenua MPs to organise protection for their own voters, that leaves non-Maori poor stuffed.
The Nats would jump at that: (1) bean counters claim an advantage abolishing working for families for non-Maoris. (2) Blame Maori Party for the iniquity: "Sorry folks that was the only way to pass this urgently needed Act. Standard & Poor's won't downgrade us since the worst of this 'giveaway' went."
A 'race to the bottom' - nats & labour outbid each other in anti Maori fervour.
Kiwi humanists recognise Maori seats prevented NZ's politicians from a 'lets kick the brownfellas' auction.
'lefty' parties such as Labour 'do' truck with racism. Bill Rowling or Helen Clark were not exceptions. Other cirmcumstances others would have kicked Maori if 'desirable'.
Labour in Oz proves this. In 1946 a WA Labour govt drove Wangai from the traditional lands for going on strike.
Hopefully Maori Party leaders are aware the dangers of supporting the nats 'electoral reform'.
Most humanists have supported the concept of 'Maori seats' in parliament for many decades. Until the introduction of MMP it was easy to argue 'special case' for indigenous people, justifying the creation and retention of Maori seats, ahead of other NZ'ers outside the pakeha mainstream.
That would be an incredibly difficult argument to run with after MMP was gutted even if the Maori Party couldn't be directly implicated in the changes. It is one thing to not have something you have never had. It is quite another to lose a right previously enjoyed.
They're now bribing people?!
How very 'Third World'... (Personally, I'm holding out for a 50" plasma screen.)
In Brazil they bribe with t-shirts and barbecued chicken. I took as many as I could get, even though I couldn't vote and the t-shirts didn't fit. The chicken was delicious.
Post a Comment
<< Home