100 Days – Claiming Back New Zealand
We have always had a very approximate form of democracy in this country, basically reduced to throwing out a government which has let down New Zealanders’ hopes of it being better than its predecessor. Our justification for calling ourselves a democracy has been qualified as a representative one - where elected members of parliament represent their constituencies to ensure the will of the majority is carried out.
What the anti-smacking legislation, the in-house treaty settlements and resettlements, and the appallingly underhand behaviour of the Prime Minister has shown us (secretly, with the complicity of Cabinet sending Pita Sharples to New York to sign the United Nations Declarations on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples) is that our elected members no longer represent us. Not one member of the National or Labour parties is standing up to oppose John Key’s dictatorial push of the damaging Emissions Trading Scheme. Not one represented their electorates to reject the anti-smacking legislation. Every National Party member essentially folded up - the same with Labour - although New Zealanders overwhelming, in an over 85% vote, said a resounding NO! Moreover, the Prime Minister's hijacking of the National Party’s List candidates at the last election by personally selecting the first 50 – the responsibility, according to the party constitution, of grassroots elected committees - was another attack on our democratic traditions. National List MPs now owe their tenure in parliament and their promotion possibilities to their leader only. Why should they listen to the country?
When our politicians become merely yes-men and women, we no longer have any brakes on the political ambitions of individuals. And throughout history, autocratic leadership has not only been highly problematic, it has lead to oppression, wrong directions, even wars. Moreover, minor parties in parliament, such as the Maori Party, gaining less than 3% of the electoral vote and by no means representing even all now part-Maori, are hijacking what should be democratic political processes.
The well-described “moral incapacity of parliament” ensures a growing divide between politicians and New Zealanders at large. The Prime Minister's extraordinary promotion of the socialist Helen Clark as a highly capable fiscal manager for a top United Nations position, while offering her lieutenant, former Finance Minister Michael Cullen, a comfortably rewarding board position at New Zealand Post, ignored their dismal financial record over the past decade. How well the political class looks after its own, regardless of the adversarial posturing in parliament, has been a revelation.
We no longer have any dependable checks and balances on the ambitions of determined political leaders. We don’t have a democracy - no longer even a representative democracy. Courageous individuals have stood up to be counted. John Boscawen promoting his Private Member's Bill to overturn the invidious anti-smacking legislation against determined opposition from the Prime Minister, led a pro-democracy march in Auckland and is now mounting opposition to John Key’s destructive insistence on passing the ETS – even though many of National’s now spineless members secretly oppose this. The Prime Minister cannot possibly be unaware that it will put New Zealanders at even more of a disadvantage with our trading partners, loading a further punishing burden of debt on the head of every man, woman and child in this already indebted country.
This time the mood of restlessness and anger in the country at large will not pass. We can add this to the growing recognition from our history in recent decades, allied to Barbara Tuchman's verdict in The March of Folly, that governments get most issues wrong. We have passed the crossroads of competent decision-making, and a great deal of damage has already been caused. The latest folly is the extraordinarily dangerous prospect of allowing Chinese investment companies to actually buy and own New Zealand farm land. Hong Kong-fronted or not, not one of these operates without the tacit permission and overseeing (if not with actually investment) of the Communist Chinese Party.
Which way to go? New Zealanders thoroughly disenchanted with the voting process and the tinkering with regard to the election of candidates are not going to be impressed by former Prime Minister Mike Moore’s dream of 20 no doubt self-selected “eminent New Zealanders” deciding on our future directions for us. Neither the promotion of an Upper House, a treaty-hijacked constitution, nor that of yet another new voting system is going to solve the problem of parliament failing, both collectively and individually, to deliver democratic government.
The call for a real, a direct democracy is one whose time has come. Moreover, the means for achieving this is a hugely effective way of stopping in its tracks the hijacking of the political process by party politics, dominated by an autocratic leader. Switzerland, the most successful democracy of all, described as the most peaceful, prosperous and open society in the world, adopted it over a hundred and fifty years ago when this small but extraordinary country realised that its own democracy was one in theory only. The provision it then claimed would equally serve us, although we do not have this country’s advantage of all its legislation being promoted not tops-down, as with our political hierarchy - but from grassroots’ representatives from the small states or cantons. The provision that we are now going to have to work for is more important even than the binding referendum process which must follow. The two go hand in hand, but one before the other.
What it ensures is that although parliament can pass any law, including those insufficiently debated, typically late at night, or on Christmas Eve - or through any profoundly undemocratic trade-off with a minor party … whatever law is passed actually can't come into effect for 100 days. During this time, if 50,000 citizens are concerned enough to call for a referendum, it has to be put - what is called a facultative (optional) referendum - and the country's verdict is binding. The different, citizens-initiated referenda, where proposals come from the people themselves, are a separate and interesting issue. But it is the facultative referenda that we most urgently need to put a stop to our lack of genuine representative democracy - so very well illustrated by the scandalous ignoring of the country's wishes by parliament’s anti-smacking legislation.
Yes, in the call for facultative referenda there all sorts of obstacles
 | Anonymous |
| Monday, June 28, 2010 |
Right on Amy!
Refreshing words indeed.
You're right, we don't even live under a fading shadow of democracy. We live in an elected dictatorship. One voted in by a nation that does not even have the option of a real choice anymore.
A nation that is governed by "Citizens" that have basically gotten away with treason for far too long.
Massive amounts of, "Surplusses", suddenly missing after the last election, and nothing for nine years but distraction tactics at our expense. Our new , "Leader", is no better than the last one. Making their own beds as comfy as possible at our expense.
Makes me sick!
We have all gotten so used to being screwed over, taxed, dictated what to do, and too busy trying to make ends meet, that we have long since forgotten how to fight.
We have had the Kiwi spirit crushed out of us.
Shame on us all.
Thank you so much for your efforts, there is still hope while good people like yourself are around.
Thanks too to "elocal" magazine for having the balls to print news of your work.
All the best,
Wizard
(Ex Exec. of the now defunct Direct Democracy Party of New Zealand. We failed, but at least we bloody tried!).
| Anonymous |
| Friday, August 06, 2010 |
Thanks for your support - and in particular - good on you for your own initiatives in the past. I don't believe any effort is ever wasted. We build on the work of others, as here. Best wishes - Amy
| Christine Nicole |
| Wednesday, August 11, 2010 |
What has happened to our health system and what is the present government doing well I can tell you NOTHING,the public health system is in TOTAL decline. We now live in a country that is very one sided depending on your ethic background,if this is our hospitals treat our senior citizens who have given of themselves with meals on wheels, been active on community projects all their life and now are in need of help I no longer want to call my self a New Zealander being an ex nurse in this same hospital I am digusted with the treatment my mother received
My mother was a patient in CCU2 Room 5 until lunchtime onthe 10th August.
I visited her that morning and when I left the hospital at around 11.45am I was assured by the ward staff that she would be sent back to Thames via ambulance when she was discharged, (no mention was made of her leaving the hospital),only to find that she was discharged at midday.
The ward doctor came when I was visiting and we discussed the requirement of home help and this was being arranged, she assured me that they would be taking her back to Thames hospital not her having to find her own way home for gods sake she is 86 and a half years old, she was taken to the transit area and told to find her own way home ???? How was she meant to? She was bought to Waikato in an ambulance from Thames hospital and should have been taken back to Thames Hospital, if I had of known she was being sent home I could have taken her not gone back to work.
My mother had a pacemaker fitted on the 9th and at presentcannot look after her self, cook, shower, etc she lives by herself and I am totally disgusted with the treatment she received today. I know if my mum was a prisoner, black or on a benefit she would be treated totally different, she has paid her taxes all these years has looked after her self not smoked and has been in good health and this is how you repay a elderly person. When I was with my mother this morning she could not even hold a cup of tea properly had a very swollen hand was in pain but as she does not complain she was treated like shit.
My mother was discharged with no dressing on her wound, her hospital id bracelet on, the heart monitor stickers all over her and she had to ask to have the lure removed from her hand, this is not good enough and patient care was totally lacking.
Is this how cost cutting is being made by treating our senior citizens like second rate people. Become a prsioner get three meals a day, warm room, TV and free transport all funded by the tax payer where is the justice in that I ask you.
| Amy Brooke |
| Wednesday, August 11, 2010 |
It's an indictment on what is happening to this country that these sorts of almost incredible stories are popping up everywhere.The major political parties' policies have helped contribute to New Zealand having become far different to the country our parents and grandparents knew. Tony Ryall squeezes the public hospital system and health boards; the mental health units have their funding decreased; the neurosurgical ward in Dunedin is threatened with closure - yet his vote-buying government manages to hand out $260 million last year for Maori language promotion! (-and this is by no means genuine Maori, the Maori that the older Maori knew - all now largely reinvented and a blind alley learning area for so many who should instead have prioritised quality English teaching and subjects of far more use in this global economy.) $260 million!...while the hospitals can't cope with their funding drastically reduced, and are now telling GPs to please not send any more patients in for tests and admissions because they just can't handle the load any more. Many good folk, both Maori and non-Maori, family people, are unhappy at the way the radicalised tribal groups are dividing the country. I'm sorry about your mother, Nicole. No wonder you are angry. New Zealanders want electoral reform. MMP has the dog wagging the tail of major parties whom New Zealanders with good reason no longer trust, anyway. We will have to work towards the 100 days, as outlined in my article.It is quite simply our best hope of ensuring that decision-making reverts to New Zealanders - (as in fact is the case in Switzerland, where it works extremely well) - not where it lies at present,with our interchanging political power groupings, who have for too long had the bit between their teeth.
| Callum MacKenzie |
| Monday, September 06, 2010 |
I look forward to the day when the politicians, activists and academics begin looking upon New Zealanders as individuals instead of racial groups. When Kiwis are treated as equals with no privileges or perks being handed out based on when their ancestors may have arrived here from Polynesia, Asia, Europe, Britannia or where ever. Every individual person born in this country is a indigenous/native New Zealander, regardless of their heritage. Land of birth, country of birth - that's what it means to be native/indigenous. It's an individual phenomena. Ethnicity has nothing to do with it, except in the minds of the politically correct and bigoted parasites who are playing the race and culture cards in the name of greed and personal agendas. The UNDRIP is a joke and Sharples and his cronies can choke on it. If they think I'm gonna settle for the status of second class citizen in my own country then they've got another thing coming.
| Piter |
| Monday, April 30, 2012 |
Once again this highlights the preblom with MMP: Any raced based, or ideology based, party of any kind can be established and garner support via the party list vote as opposed to having to win an electorate seat. The Greens being the case in point where they rely solely on the party vote.So we now have The Chinese Party what's to stop someone establishing the Sodomite Party , or the Muslim Party for that matter? I get sick and tired of minority interest groups holding this country to ransom and MMP is one of the main means by which minority interest groups are able to achieve this.GET RID OF MMP!!![and while we're at it get rid of the racist Maori Party as well]