The "New Zealand Riders Are Voters" campaign

[Katman]

Chin up mate , one day your glass will be half full.

Only for a minute or so.

[James Deuce]

Chin up mate , one day your glass will be half full.

The glass is neither half full nor half empty. It's simply twice as big as it needs to be.

[archie-no2]

James Deuce
Originally Posted by pc220
Chin up mate , one day your glass will be half full.
The glass is neither half full nor half empty. It's simply twice as big as it needs to be.

No, the tap broke halfway during filling. (plumbers)
Or the drought has set in so we all must be conserving water. (farmers/govt)

[Maha]

I had a shirt made up today....well, yesterday really...$23 I supplied the shirt

[Luckylegs]

...riot teams waiting for us, and we would not have had anywhere near the impact our peacefull (if loud) protest recieved...

You're joking right. You do watch the news. That sounds like a prime opportunity missed

[pritch]

Generally I have regarded single issue voting as a bit ummm shallow(?). Having said that, I have used my party vote in that manner on one occasion.

Our collective vote might appeal to a minority party rather than one of the major parties because unless the minor parties get someone in the house they must get the magic 5%. To get that 5% the politicians will sell their soul.

That being the case, they might as well sell part of it to us.

[Bald Eagle]

But there's good reason they are minor parties, certainly don't want to encourage them

They get some seats in the house and suddenly then think they're important king makers or some other such bullshit.

[Maha]

You're joking right. You do watch the news. That sounds like a prime opportunity missed

....I wonder how Wellington would react if say, one morning, a few trucks blocked the Hutt Road into the city to allow thousands of bikes to totally take over the surrounding streets of Parliament?

But there's good reason they are minor parties, certainly don't want to encourage them

They get some seats in the house and suddenly then think they're important king makers or some other such bullshit.

As long as they think that, then thats ok, I know some bikers (and Im guessing you do also) that think they're important king makers?

[wysper]

Generally I have regarded single issue voting as a bit ummm shallow(?). Having said that, I have used my party vote in that manner on one occasion.

Our collective vote might appeal to a minority party rather than one of the major parties because unless the minor parties get someone in the house they must get the magic 5%. To get that 5% the politicians will sell their soul.

That being the case, they might as well sell part of it to us.

Problem would be you might get the minor party in to parliament, but the minor party wouldn't have the power to change the ACC or what ever you were seeking. We would need a major party and then ensure they kept their word. I am sure that getting them to keep their word would be the hardest part.

[Maha]

Problem would be you might get the minor party in to parliament, but the minor party wouldn't have the power to change the ACC or what ever you were seeking. We would need a major party and then ensure they kept their word. I am sure that getting them to keep their word would be the hardest part.

They way I see it, voting for any party other than the primary two, only takes votes away from those party's making it harder for them to govern alone (which they fucken hate right?)
One man managed to do it in the 80's, anyone remember the Bob Jones lead New Zealand Party?

[StoneY]

One man managed to do it in the 80's, anyone remember the Bob Jones lead New Zealand Party?

Yep I do.

Still see Bob now and then to, another matter entirely tho. May ask him for advice now youve reminded me of that time in history...........

[steelphoenix]

They way I see it, voting for any party other than the primary two, only takes votes away from those party's making it harder for them to govern alone (which they fucken hate right?)
One man managed to do it in the 80's, anyone remember the Bob Jones lead New Zealand Party?

Or the McGillicuddy Serious Party?

[James Deuce]

It doesn't take votes "off" anyone. Proportional systems of Government are supposed to give the "people" the ability to construct a government that represents them. Instead, you silly buggers have treated it as a confusing version of FPP and kept voting for Labour & National as if bipartisan politics is the only way you can see the world working.

MMP voting gives you the scope to support your primary philosophically aligned party as well as supporting another party who promises to support your "single issue" (whatever the hell that will turn out to be).

Stop thinking of your two votes as belonging to one party and start strategically thinking how you can use them to best effect. Labour's not going to lead the House next time round right? The Maori Party and ACT are in partnership with National. Of those two ACT is the only party with Libertarian enough views to support an Individualist pursuit being targeted as an assault on personal freedoms. Like it or lump it they're a "natural" ally. If you establish a relationship with ACT then MAG/BRONZ members vote for the electorate candidate they support and their party votes ALL go to ACT.

In places like Germany political parties will organise their members to vote as a bloc sometimes in support of a party who is to all intents and purposes diametrically opposed politically speaking, often in exchange for a voting bloc supporting THEIR party in another district.

How many of you BELONG to a political party?

If you want to be able to dictate political policy you need to be able to influence the political system. To do that you need to belong. Lobby groups are all very well, but they are essentially toothless if the political system feels no threat, which clearly it doesn't at present.

[Hitcher]

One man managed to do it in the 80's, anyone remember the Bob Jones lead New Zealand Party?

That was FPP. Politics in New Zealand hasn't been that simple for years, not that the "average" voter has figured that out yet.

[pritch]

They get some seats in the house and suddenly then think they're important king makers or some other such bullshit.

Exactly! You can whinge about it, or you can use it to your advantage.

As someone said to me once, "I'm one of the few people in this country who changes governments."

If you vote for the same party every time your vote is cancelled out by another guy doing the same thing for the other team. Only those who from time to time change their votes, change governments.

If we can convince politicians we are prepared to become "swinging voters" they will have to listen.