democratic participation

Categories under democratic participation

What happened to the working class?

Written By: - Date published: 8:36 am, December 15th, 2013 - 175 comments

In post WWII UK, working class people were gaining a stronger voice in public life.  Then came Thatcher and middle class capture of politics & the media.  Something similar happened in NZ.  How can those on low incomes and/or from the working classes gain a stronger voice in NZ politics?

Summer service: the real economy

Written By: - Date published: 10:45 am, December 14th, 2013 - 47 comments

The summer holiday period is a time when consumerism is rampant, contradicting the traditional Christian message .  It adds pressure to those already struggling, especially those with young families. Places to support via time, donations, gifts, etc.

At least 225,000 Nats said “No” to asset sales

Written By: - Date published: 10:19 am, December 14th, 2013 - 90 comments

Rob Salmond runs the Polity blog and has given us permission to syndicate his posts. Long time readers will remember him from the brilliant posts on 08wire.org during the 2008 campaign, so expect us to often find something of interest.

Like this post looking at who voted No on the referendum. That number of previously National voters must be scaring the National party at present.

Turning around the books

Written By: - Date published: 5:44 pm, December 13th, 2013 - 23 comments

So according to John Key, turnout in the referendum is so low it doesn’t mean anything to him (despite his government working hard to get turnout down).  But he reckons it does mean David Cunliffe needs to promise to buy back the assets..?

The party I will vote for ….

Written By: - Date published: 10:39 am, December 13th, 2013 - 157 comments

… will be one that has effective policies to make a more equal, inclusive and democratic society, will seriously address the concerns of those least well-off, and not just pander to the concerns of people on (comfortable) middle incomes.Values in need of a slogan?

Last day to vote

Written By: - Date published: 7:11 am, December 12th, 2013 - 43 comments

This is the last day that you can vote No in the referendum on asset sales. So dig that form out, mark it and send it. This referendum vote is a clear way to send a message that even a self-serving delusional National MP can understand. Being able to form a government is not a mandate to do whatever you feel like with our assets.

800,000 referendum votes in already

Written By: - Date published: 7:46 am, December 3rd, 2013 - 41 comments

John Key set us a challenge on the referendum: get more an a million ‘no’ votes. That would mean more votes against asset sales than National won in 2011. So far, so good. The Electoral Commission has processed 805,204 votes. Doubling that would be an outstanding result that would almost certainly mean a million ‘no’ votes. Get your vote in now.

Don’t forget to vote no

Written By: - Date published: 4:00 pm, December 2nd, 2013 - 44 comments

NZ Herald editorial smears the Referendum

Written By: - Date published: 10:42 am, November 30th, 2013 - 28 comments

NZ Herald editor/s selectively reports, omitting the full facts, in favour of the National government.  It misrepresents the referendum on asset sales, ignoring significant facts – thereby also seeming to discredit the Green Party, the referendum, & democracy.

Over half a million votes received already, have you posted yours?

Written By: - Date published: 7:40 pm, November 29th, 2013 - 63 comments

The Electoral Commission has reported receiving and processing nearly quarter of a million referendum votes per day on Wednesday and Thursday this week. All up, 530,000 votes are in so far – an impressive 17.50% turn out already. That’s far better than you would expect from a council postal ballot at this stage. Now, let’s get the rest in.

Nat government treachery destroys public broadcasting

Written By: - Date published: 10:16 am, November 21st, 2013 - 30 comments

Key’s government has destroyed the weak attempts by Labour to enable some public service broadcasting on Freeview.  The NActs have employed ideologically-driven, irrational, bad faith, underhand, agreement-breaking moves to protect commercial monopoly. The CBB is campaigning for non-commercial TV channels.

Enrol for the referendum by the 21st

Written By: - Date published: 3:57 pm, November 19th, 2013 - 41 comments

If you aren’t currently enrolled or are unsure, then you will have to be enrolled in the next few days. We can shove the lie of “mandate” straight back into this National government’s lying face. Maybe when National are deprived of that silly excuse for their theft, they will stop stealing.

Nats’ demolition derby

Written By: - Date published: 5:20 pm, November 18th, 2013 - 107 comments

John Key’s government is going full tilt at dismantling everything of value in NZ, and selling as much as possible to the overseas investors.  It’s the government of Drill It, Mine it, Sell it.  Find out about the asset sales referendum & how to vote.

National Day of Action Against Rape – today (16 Nov)

Written By: - Date published: 8:25 am, November 16th, 2013 - 13 comments

Today there are actions planned around the country in protest about the rape culture that is part of our mainstream culture.  This post and comments are in support of the day of action.  Have a good day everyone. [Update: impact on/silencing of survivors]

National day of action against rape culture: 16 Nov (&15th)

Written By: - Date published: 9:27 am, November 15th, 2013 - 197 comments

Tomorrow is A Day of Action Against Rape Culture.  There are a couple of actions starting today. Actions listed here, plus the reasons for the actions & demands/proposed solutions.  Will update with info on any further actions as they become available. [Update: warning – the discussion under this post contains some challenges to the day of action]

Coleman’s disgracefully cowardly display

Written By: - Date published: 8:38 am, November 15th, 2013 - 151 comments

National’s, weird, favourite line at the moment is to say ‘we’re going to ignore the asset sales referendum and the opposition are hypocrites because they ignored the smacking referendum’. Russel Norman finally had had enough yesterday, and asked Jonathan Coleman just who had been PM when the referendum happened. Coleman’s answer was textbook cowardliness.

Key rewrites history for “Crazy Colin”

Written By: - Date published: 5:00 pm, November 13th, 2013 - 68 comments

Answering questions on the up-coming Asset Sales referendum, John Key spoke some appalling un-truths.  He is rewriting political history to suit “Crazy” Colin Craig’s possible coalition bottom lines on the “anti-smacking” law.   Cunliffe finally got there in the General Debate, but the opposition was too slow in countering Key’s lies & spin.

National day of action against rape culture: 16 Nov

Written By: - Date published: 2:15 pm, November 8th, 2013 - 96 comments

Important day of action against rape culture, 16th November.  The distressing Roastbuster case set off very important discussions, in-depth examination of the issues, & possible ways to dismantle the rape culture that is embedded in our mainstream culture. [Updates of demo locations & links on-going]

Sir Edmund Thomas: “Reducing Inequality” – new ‘Values’

Written By: - Date published: 5:48 pm, November 6th, 2013 - 29 comments

Sir Edmund Thomas’s recent Bruce Jesson Lecture is now online.  He argues for a need to reduce inequalities, via a change in values away from those directed by “neoliberal” economics, & for a struggle from “below”.  Is this intended to soften capitalism & not replace it?

Key says ‘damn the torpedoes’ on asset sales

Written By: - Date published: 7:30 am, October 30th, 2013 - 44 comments

The asset sales have been an unmitigated failure. They’ve raised less money than expected, they’ve cost more than twice as much as National said they would, no ‘mums and dads’ have shown up to buy the shares, and the public is waiting for its referendum. Now, it turns out that Treasury warned Key not to flood the market but Key plans to keep on flooding it.

On the waterfront: art & politics

Written By: - Date published: 12:01 pm, October 29th, 2013 - 81 comments

Auckland authorities disrespected past worker struggles in allowing an art work on the waterfront, that commemorates the ruthless suppression of the 1913 strike. After protests, it has now been covered.  Time for the many to unite for fairness at work & in daily living!

Freeview, SkyTV & IT

Written By: - Date published: 11:41 am, October 9th, 2013 - 88 comments

NZ’s broadcasting and digital communications policies, provisions and regulations do not provide the capability for widespread democratic engagement. Cunliffe has twigged that broadcasting and digital communications policies need to be inter-linked in the 21st century context.  NZ’s policies, provisions & regulations on both need major restructuring.

Vote!

Written By: - Date published: 8:56 am, October 4th, 2013 - 78 comments

There is just over a week to go before the 2013 local elections finish.  Turnout so far has been disappointingly low and this presents a threat and a challenge.  The threat is that progressive incumbents will lose because their supporters do not vote.  The challenge is to get family and friends to vote to maximise the prospects of progressives being elected to office.

“Predistribution”: From Miliband to Cunliffe

Written By: - Date published: 10:11 am, September 23rd, 2013 - 41 comments

Ed Miliband got the idea of pre-distribution from Jacob Hacker. Cunliffe has followed.  Can “pre-distribution” underpin a new direction for the left in NZ: one relevant to the challenges of the 21st century, especially in countering the too wide inequality gap & re-instating social democracy?

Stop the TICS Bill – Meeting

Written By: - Date published: 12:59 pm, September 20th, 2013 - 6 comments

Can Wellington outdo Auckland for the revival of town hall meetings? Come to an urgent Stop the TICS Bill meeting on Monday 23 September, 7pm at Old St Paul’s, Mulgrave St.

Suffrage Day

Written By: - Date published: 7:00 am, September 19th, 2013 - 8 comments

It’s 120 years since women got the vote – what are you doing to celebrate?

David Cunliffe – Labour leader!

Written By: - Date published: 2:53 pm, September 15th, 2013 - 286 comments

It’s official David Cunliffe is Labour’s new leader. And, having been democratically elected by Labour’s Parliamentary, Party, and industrial wings in the first round, he carries the strongest mandate of any leader in the party’s history. It’s a great day for democracy. But not as great as the sixth Labour government will be when we […]

A new leader, a new era in NZLP democracy

Written By: - Date published: 9:50 am, September 15th, 2013 - 105 comments

The election of a new Leader today will be a historic moment in the history of the New Zealand Labour party. Regardless of the result, or who you voted for, this is a day to celebrate the party’s new democracy. Update: from an email from Moira Coatsworth: Today is the end of this extraordinary leadership […]

Housing: the options, the new left narrative?

Written By: - Date published: 11:07 am, September 13th, 2013 - 75 comments

The response to Metiria Turei’s sttements about affordable housing on The Vote, raises questions about political narratives are told to the general electorate? The Greens, Mana and Cunliffe have stressed their “vision“.  How to tell it so it reaches the hearts of New Zealanders?

Voting update

Written By: - Date published: 8:36 am, September 11th, 2013 - 11 comments

After yesterday’s post on voting some commenters mentioned they have not yet received their ballot papers.

The good news is that they’re on their way.

Vote!

Written By: - Date published: 6:30 am, September 10th, 2013 - 164 comments

You’ve seen the candidates. You know where they stand. So grab your ballots and vote!