Are you sick of the Total wanker Governments we get in NZ -There is an alternative:

**mashman** · 26th February 2010, 13:13

Originally Posted by avgas

20% of NZ did that last time. Yet we still have all the seats in the beehive filled.....go figure.
I guess its easy to bend the rules to suit - so long as all the 'players' agree.

That's a lot of people... and spread over, say 6 parties... could be space for the Bikeoi party maybe

... I would love to know the percentage of those that don't vote on the principle that it doesn't matter who's in, it's the same shit, different day and still a government to be ashamed of...

However the Swiss alternative of fining people (even $3) kind of flies in the face of free speech...

Wonder how many red voters turned blue, just for a change last time... and if it was actually policy based or whether it was just time for a change... I suppose if we knew those figures, you could potentially go vote winning over the next 18 months...

**mashman** · 26th February 2010, 13:15

Originally Posted by avgas

Now there is a guy I would vote for. Hell I would even pay for his entry into parliament.
(cost me a shitload less in the long run)

I wonder if they make inflatable Guy Fawkes effigies, ya know, the sort that you have to blow up...

**golfmade** · 26th February 2010, 13:58

Originally Posted by mashman

I wonder if they make inflatable Guy Fawkes effigies, ya know, the sort that you have to blow up...

You forgot to put this in the "if you know what I mean" thread

Grass is always greener on the other side that's for sure. That said I'm pretty sure the grass you find in NZ is truly actually greener than grass here in Taiwan.

**Tank** · 26th February 2010, 14:08

Originally Posted by golfmade

Grass is always greener on the other side that's for sure. That said I'm pretty sure the grass you find in NZ is truly actually greener than grass here in Taiwan.

Indeed the grass is often greener in NZ - sadly you have to leave NZ and travel a bit to appreciate exactly what a great country we have.

**Dave Lobster** · 26th February 2010, 14:54

Originally Posted by mashman

I wonder if they make inflatable Guy Fawkes effigies, ya know, the sort that you have to blow up...

Mohammed Fawkes?

**mashman** · 26th February 2010, 15:00

Originally Posted by Dave Lobster

Mohammed Fawkes?

come poling day, whilst everyone ticks their box... he just ticks...

**Tank** · 26th February 2010, 15:02

Originally Posted by mashman

come poling day, whilst everyone ticks their box... he just ticks...

oooohhhh they gonna put a fatwa on your ass

**SPman** · 26th February 2010, 15:41

Originally Posted by Tank

Indeed the grass is often greener in NZ - sadly you have to leave NZ and travel a bit to appreciate exactly what a great country we have.

Nothing wrong with the country - just the Bozo's in power who think they own it!

**rainman** · 26th February 2010, 18:42

Originally Posted by Pixie

Voting in Switzerland

Way too complicated or us simple souls.

**mashman** · 26th February 2010, 22:28

Originally Posted by Tank

oooohhhh they gonna put a fatwa on your ass

a fatwat... you mean FattMax... (he wasn't as big as i thought he'd be, could just about support his wait...)

sorry to the islamic community, this was in jest... Allah, just jokin with ya big fella... don't fry me please...

**davereid** · 27th February 2010, 07:36

The trouble with democracy is that its really just mob rule. Switerzerland appears to have perfected a technique for listening to the mob - I can't see that it really improves anything.

As far as I am concerned, it doesn't matter how the bastards get there. Its the massive power they have when they are there that is the problem !

**Dave Lobster** · 27th February 2010, 08:55

Originally Posted by davereid

The trouble with democracy is that its really just mob rule. Switerzerland appears to have perfected a technique for listening to the mob - I can't see that it really improves anything.

It got the minarets stopped. If the majority of the population want something to happen, surely that government is duty bound to do it? That is what they're paid for.

**Winston001** · 27th February 2010, 11:19

Originally Posted by Dave Lobster

It got the minarets stopped. If the majority of the population want something to happen, surely that government is duty bound to do it? That is what they're paid for.

Actually........No. We elect parliamentary representatives to govern the country and obtain the best advice on how to do so. The vast majority of the public have no conception of the detailed information required to do that. IMHO we should know more but the media won't report the detail - to be fair they realise most people aren't interested.

For example, we'd probably all vote against mining in the conservation estate. Yet Gerry Brownlie points out that there are already 80 existing mining operations and I doubt the public could name more than one or two. What have the media done about this? Researched his claim? Broadcast a list of the sites? Nup. Nadda.

The result is the public know nothing about it. How could we possibly make an informed decision? The recent "smacking" referendum is a good example of how badly these things can work. It was a nonsense and should never have proceeded without clear wording. Maybe then it would have achieved something.

**Hitcher** · 28th February 2010, 14:20

Originally Posted by Pixie

Switzerland has a population similar in size to New Zealand and has had the following electoral system in operation since 1848.

Switzerland has one of the most repressive regimes in the world. Do a bit of research and find out when women got the vote there. Do a bit more research and see what basic democratic rights we enjoy here that aren't open to your average Swiss.