Congratulations 48%

[shrub]

Cut your cloth however you like but you won't bridge the gap to the 20-30% higher average earnings they make in Oz. Fact is our wages are shameful, regardless of taxation, and no matter how "valuable and productive" you make yourself (there's a doctrine if ever there was one) the return for effort is miserable.

That's very true. By the time I have finished my masters I will have increase my earning capacity in NZ by around 40% over what it was when I started, but across the ditch I will be worth way more than that, and not only will I earn more, but there will be more options. Only problem is I love NZ, and I will be able to more than earn enough for a fucking good lifestyle, so why bother? You can only eat and drink so much, and I do too much of both as it is.

Trouble is we don't just have crap political options we have crap political reporting. Our talking heads (I refuse to all them journalists) are more concerned with some bullshit tape about nothing than insightful investigation or reporting.

you obviously haven't been listening to the National programme. It's interesting that John Key has avoided interviews with their journalists because I think he knows they will pull him to pieces, and the TV and newspapers often base their stories on what comes out on RNZ.

[jonbuoy]

So when they fess up as to why they didn't vote, it is acceptable to invalidate that reason because they are to be ignored by default. Bit silly really (he said politely)

For someone as politically motivated as you seem to be on here I'm amazed you didn't vote.

[Mental Trousers]

You can write or not write whatever the hell you like on a voting paper, but unless it's filled out correctly (ie boxes ticked) it just goes in the "Not Yet Competent" bin. Nup, I'll stick with no vote rather than a "you're too stupid to fill out a form correctly" vote.

Sorry but your opinion doesn't sway my reasoning, it's my message and I'll send it how I like.

An empty ballot paper is an actual, clear statement. An incorrectly filled out ballot paper is one that has been written on or otherwise filled in with anything other than a single tick in either column, not a blank one.

Being lumped in with those who can't be bothered, those who don't give a rat's arse, those who are just too thick to know what it's all about, those who have no interest in the governance of the country, those who are not yet competent, those who are too stupid to fill out a form correctly, your message (whatever it is) is lost.

Trouble is we don't just have crap political options we have crap political reporting. Our talking heads (I refuse to all them journalists) are more concerned with some bullshit tape about nothing than insightful investigation or reporting.

Can't believe how hung up on a single conversation those clowns were. Seems that for many of those talking heads (you're right that they don't deserve to be called Journalists) that informal conversation over a cup of tea was the focus of the entire election.

[oneofsix]

For someone as politically motivated as you seem to be on here I'm amazed you didn't vote.

As politically motivated as the Exclusive Brethren perhaps. Don't vote yourself but try to influence others this way you don't take any of the blame.

[MisterD]

It's interesting that John Key has avoided interviews with their journalists because I think he knows they will pull him to pieces are heavily biased to the left, and the TV and newspapers often base their stories on what comes out on RNZ.

Fixed for you.

[Scuba_Steve]

Fixed for you.

left wing media??? Where da fuck do you people come up with this shit??? Rose tinted glasses much!

[avgas]

Not all options are rope, and in fact some are the opposite of rope.

Quicksand? I would rather stay off the topic of dictatorship.

[MisterD]

left wing media??? Where da fuck do you people come up with this shit??? Rose tinted glasses much!

Oh come off it, RNZ make the BBC look centrist at times.

[avgas]

LOL. I had quite a few people say that to me - "I voted Green because I didn't want to vote for either Labour or National."
Me: "So, it wasn't because you liked their policies?"
Them: "I don't know what policies the Greens have but I don't want to sell our assets and I don't want to borrow any more money!"

Likewise I hear people saying they vote Red to stop blue.....or vice versa
Are there ANY good politicians out there? Or is that an oxymoron and we should let them get in by "default".

[avgas]

cough.....splutter........choke!
How dare you sirrah!

Was it easier to swallow when I called it "the blue rope"?
If so.....be concerned.

[Scuba_Steve]

Oh come off it, RNZ make the BBC look centrist at times.

I don't listen to RNZ so I'm basing it on TV propaganda machine & since I dislike both sides equally I wear no rose tinted glasses so from what I was seeing (aside form the "tea party") the great propaganda machine were pushing Key Not Goff & last I checked Key was still slightly on the right side of the line.

But as people will only ever see what they want I'm going to assume your a "right wing" supporter & thus the media is "left wing" whereas I'm sure the "left wing" supporters here would probably go on about how the media is "right wing" Me I say the media supported both the 2 worst parties with a slight lean towards Key (aside from the "tea party" which the lean went to Winston don't know which side he's on?)

[avgas]

What to change to is not what I'm talking about. But lots of people submitting an empty ballot paper says a hell of a lot more than being stuck with in with the apathetic lot.

Really?
Last time I checked a bunch of bikers singed various bits of paper to say they weren't happy about ACC.

Then they took another step and turned up on a certain door step. (Politely)

Nothing changed.

Perhaps the 25% have learned this already.........lost hope in the system.

Unfortunately if this in the case - and the pressure cooker has no relief valve. Eventually things happen.
Something tells me that the world population is losing its apathy - regardless of how their "leaders" are elected.

I would rather this was resolved calmly now, then blood in the streets later when people have truly had enough.
Unfortunately the "Unthinking Majority" have not cottoned on yet. Lazy voters are just as bad as Lazy Non-voters.

[oneofsix]

Really?
Last time I checked a bunch of bikers singed various bits of paper to say they weren't happy about ACC.

Then they took another step and turned up on a certain door step. (Politely)

Nothing changed.

Perhaps the 25% have learned this already.........lost hope in the system.

Unfortunately if this in the case - and the pressure cooker has no relief valve. Eventually things happen.
Something tells me that the world population is losing its apathy - regardless of how their "leaders" are elected.

I would rather this was resolved calmly now, then blood in the streets later when people have truly had enough.
Unfortunately the "Unthinking Majority" have not cottoned on yet. Lazy voters are just as bad as Lazy Non-voters.

Yeah good luck with that. The greedy think they have a vested interest in not allowing peaceful chance. They stupidly don't realise that they have a choice to lose a little through peaceful change or lose the lot. They think they will prevent change and grab more, currently they are in the grab more phase which of course speeds up the violent change

[Mental Trousers]

Really?
Last time I checked a bunch of bikers singed various bits of paper to say they weren't happy about ACC.

Was that an election issue?? If not, why wasn't someone making it an election issue. Seems the biggest issue this time around was a cup of tea.

You appear to be supporting the idea that doing nothing does something. Yeah/nah??

[MisterD]

I don't listen to RNZ so I'm basing it on TV propaganda machine & since I dislike both sides equally I wear no rose tinted glasses so from what I was seeing (aside form the "tea party") the great propaganda machine were pushing Key Not Goff & last I checked Key was still slightly on the right side of the line.

But as people will only ever see what they want I'm going to assume your a "right wing" supporter & thus the media is "left wing" whereas I'm sure the "left wing" supporters here would probably go on about how the media is "right wing" Me I say the media supported both the 2 worst parties with a slight lean towards Key (aside from the "tea party" which the lean went to Winston don't know which side he's on?)

I am right wing for sure, one of the 1406 that voted Libertarianz, who get bugger all coverage. It's just a fact of life, most journalists are left wing themselves and most NZ journalists aren't worthy of the title.

Why do NZ "journalists" :

Never bother to fact-check union or Labour party press releases?
Never challenge blatant lies from Phil Goff (such as the SIS briefing thing)?
Give the Green Party a complete free pass on everything?
Label anything to do with ACT "extreme" or "far-right"?