democratic participation

Categories under democratic participation

National Day of Action vs Asset Sales: Sat 27 April

Written By: - Date published: 12:31 pm, April 22nd, 2013 - 18 comments

Aotearoa is Not for Sale is counting down to the National Day of Action this Saturday 27 April. Some people have explained why they will be joining the Day of Action on Saturday. Why do you support action against asset sales? What are the alternatives? [Updated: details of actions around NZ]

The disconnected: the future of the left?

Written By: - Date published: 12:30 pm, April 18th, 2013 - 42 comments

The current direction of Key’s government, and the challenging circumstances of the 21st century create a need for urgent attention to the form of a new left politics; one that embraces the working class, trade union solidarity, gender, diversity & the emerging “precariat”.

I thank Margaret Thatcher …

Written By: - Date published: 9:03 am, April 9th, 2013 - 314 comments

… for her major contribution to my political education: of the need to combat the extensive, destructive power of the “neoliberal” elites.  I lived in London during the entire time Thatcher was prime minister.  It was a time of major change; of political activism; of hope; of disillusionment.

Democracy for sale

Written By: - Date published: 8:49 am, April 2nd, 2013 - 43 comments

The Nats have sold favours to Hollywood, to Sky City, to Rio Tinto (work in progress), and now with the “Petrobras law” it looks very much like they’re selling us out on our right to protest too.

News media: shifting ground

Written By: - Date published: 12:44 pm, March 19th, 2013 - 13 comments

The withdrawal of News Corp from SkyNZ, & the new deal on press regulation in the UK are part of various shifts: from media moguls to financial investors, rise of the internet, & the balance between corporate media and politicians – not a fourth estate revival. [Update: tweeters/bloggers excluded]

The right’s fear of democracy

Written By: - Date published: 7:12 pm, March 13th, 2013 - 174 comments

Four hundred thousand people don’t want asset sales. In fact they don’t just not want asset sales they want every voter in New Zealand to have the chance to cast a vote for or against asset sales. And National wants to discredit them.

Keep Our Assets petition submission

Written By: - Date published: 7:25 am, March 12th, 2013 - 51 comments

The Keep Our Assets petition will be submitted today at 12.30 at Parliament with approximately 400,000 signatures. It is the largest petition in New Zealand history. The referendum that will follow will test National’s mandate for asset sales – clearly and unequivocally. Well done to the thousands of collectors and all the signatories. National – stop the sales and listen.

Labour: the democratic reforms continue

Written By: - Date published: 8:31 am, February 20th, 2013 - 98 comments

The focus in recent months has been on the democratisation of the leadership process. But actually, a far more important change is coming.  Over the next few months, the party is going to roll out the draft policies and the proposed policy structure to a series of membership meetings. The new regional hub structure will also be explained.

Save the Family Court

Written By: - Date published: 10:20 am, February 11th, 2013 - 8 comments

The Government’s Family Court Proceedings Reform Bill is receiving submissions until this Wednesday, 13 February.  This Bill needs drastic alteration, as it puts the Family Court out of financial reach of many of those who most need it, reduces needed rights to legal representation, and forces those who’ve been experiencing violence into inappropriate mediation as it’s cheaper.  Best we all submit against it…

ImperatorFish: Why we must have a four-year parliamentary term

Written By: - Date published: 12:40 pm, February 8th, 2013 - 12 comments

Let me put the debate to rest once and for all. Here are four compelling reasons.

Get on board

Written By: - Date published: 7:56 am, January 30th, 2013 - 15 comments

Now I don’t know if there will be a leadership vote in the next couple of weeks or not, but if there is, and you’re a Labour supporter, then you really want to be a Labour Party member beforehand so you can have your say.

Green Party “I’m in – for the future”

Written By: - Date published: 8:21 am, January 27th, 2013 - 109 comments

For once lately, I agree with Matt McCarten on the Green Party being Centre Stage this week: a housing policy for renters and buyers on low incomes, including state housing.  Memorable speech at Ratana by Turei.  Today: Picnic for the Planet, State of the Planet speech & the launch of a new “I’m in – for the future” initiative.

Media Bias & Democracy II: beyond 2 sides

Written By: - Date published: 11:56 am, January 22nd, 2013 - 52 comments

MSM “impartiality” focuses on two sides of a very narrow and shifting “centre”.  Parliamentary Labour parties have got locked into appealing to this centre, over time shifting the caucus rightwards. Only momentum from the flax roots can break the resulting steady rightwards shift.

Action: Stop Charter Schools

Written By: - Date published: 2:02 pm, January 21st, 2013 - 91 comments

The chance to submit your opposition to Charter Schools closes this Thursday 24 January. An easy submission form has been set up, or you can follow how to make your own more detailed submission.

2012: “celebrity” PM – collective action

Written By: - Date published: 10:00 am, December 23rd, 2012 - 47 comments

Individualism & “celebrity” PM, John Key were still strong in 2012.  But, there was opposition from some (often local) groups working collaboratively:  Occupy, Glen Innes protesters, MUNZ, Asset Sales referendum, AAAP advocacy activism, manufacturing inquiry, NZLP democratisation, TS nest of vipers. And 2013?

Media Bias & Democracy I: truth to power

Written By: - Date published: 11:49 am, December 20th, 2012 - 37 comments

Democracy needs independent news media, acting in the public interest, to speak truth to power.  The commercial imperatives and neoliberal capture of corporate news organisations skew their political coverage, and contribute to voter disengagement. A perfect context for Key’s government to dismantle democracy: ECAN, CERA, Auckland Council, asset sales.

Butterfly upon a wheel, or we haven’t changed

Written By: - Date published: 11:20 pm, December 9th, 2012 - 251 comments

Back five years ago*, when The Standard was founded by people like Ralph, Irish, Lynn, Tillerman, and Tane, it stood for a few basic Leftwing principles. Pro-worker, pro-environment, pro-equity, and anti-elitist. And it saw a Labour-led Left government as the best vehicle to achieve those goals. Much of the crew has changed but the values and the goals haven’t.

I, Vipertacus

Written By: - Date published: 10:28 pm, December 8th, 2012 - 192 comments

Just wanted to say, seeing so many of the regulars change their name in honour of Colonial Viper is awesome. That tells me this is a real community. We discuss, argue, fight, and we respect. We’re not like the disgrace of an MP who has hounded CV into silence because she can’t handle honest criticism. Proud of you lot for standing beside our own.

“Name” journalism & voter dis-engagement

Written By: - Date published: 8:55 am, November 29th, 2012 - 76 comments

Criticism of “anonymous” bloggers is a symptom of change that threatens to make politics more democratic.  The rise of “name” journalism and infotainment have increased voter dis-engagement.  However, well-managed blogging (by any name) can contribute to democratic re-engagement.

My Dad the bowler

Written By: - Date published: 10:46 am, November 26th, 2012 - 21 comments

My father remembers Labour Party meetings in our local town hall through the 70’s and 80’s. Staunchly Labour, Dad had many rousing discussions at the local pub with men of varied political persuasions – most of whom were his good friends. A heated debate on a Thursday night would often melt nicely into a friendly roll up at bowls on a Saturday.

Public service broadcasting and politics

Written By: - Date published: 10:15 am, November 25th, 2012 - 24 comments

Public service broadcasting and commercial TV cover politics in different ways.  Will Sky TV’s new public service channel, Face, (incorporating some ex-Stratos/Triangle shows), do it the commercial or PSB way? What will be the impact on NZ’s political journalism?

Democracy is not the problem

Written By: - Date published: 8:50 am, November 23rd, 2012 - 47 comments

During the Labour conference, Armstrong patronisingly wrote “delegates were so blinded and so intoxicated by the prospect of securing a say in the election of future leaders that they did not think through the consequences”. Old Tories hate democracy. But it’s disappointing that Garner made the same mistakes. Democracy doesn’t weaken, it strengthens – ask the Greens.

A good time to join Labour

Written By: - Date published: 8:05 am, November 22nd, 2012 - 185 comments

Well there’s not been so much focus on the Labour Party for a long time so I figure now’s the time to point out that, thanks to rule changes (and not just the contentious ones) holding a Labour Party membership has never meant so much in terms of having a say in where the party (and hopefully, after 2014, the country) goes.

Shearer or Labour?

Written By: - Date published: 12:58 pm, November 19th, 2012 - 247 comments

Between writing this post and submitting it I see rumours are flying like demented monkeys. So perhaps this post is a timely call to sort shit out democratically. Now. And once and for all.

War and peace

Written By: - Date published: 8:05 am, November 19th, 2012 - 93 comments

Talk of a Labour leadership vote to be held this Tuesday blossomed and then faded on Sunday. Here’s what went down. The Mallard-led old guard thought they had found a procedural trick to embarrass Cunliffe. They could have an immediate caucus-only vote under the old rules, which would require 60% opposition to Shearer to succeed. But such a cynical attempt to disenfranchise the membership would have backfired

Changing Labour: significant issues

Written By: - Date published: 8:38 am, November 18th, 2012 - 4 comments

These are exciting days as the Labour Party becomes more democratic.  In their reports on the Conference, the MSM are failing to focus on the important issues: ones requiring a new direction from the Left, such as damaging white collar fraud and the urgent need for affordable housing.

A reason to belong

Written By: - Date published: 7:48 am, November 18th, 2012 - 29 comments

For the first time in the history of New Zealand, being a member of a major party really means something. If you a member of Labour, you will have a choice in who your leader is. Can any but a handful of National apparatchiks say the same? It’s time for National’s members to ask whether they’re really members of just money pots. And it’s time for the Labour Ulterior to re-join.

Labour chooses democracy

Written By: - Date published: 2:55 pm, November 17th, 2012 - 152 comments

Labour has established its new leadership voting rules. The attempt to effectively neuter the membership’s new power by setting a high bar for a leadership vote to be triggered failed. It will take 50% of caucus to trigger a vote in ordinary times, but a 60% caucus endorsement of the leader to avoid a leadership vote in the compulsory mid-term motion.

A note to a media commentator

Written By: - Date published: 2:51 am, November 17th, 2012 - 53 comments

I finally got around to listening to Gavin Ellis making a complete dork of himself on Radio NZ talking about authors on this site being “manipulated”. Hah! Anyone trying to manipulate them is likely to wind up being made into a pretzel. I wouldn’t care to try it myself. So does Gavin Ellis = a bit of an idiot. Or more charitably, has he actually bothered to think about this issue?

Towards an inclusive, democratic left

Written By: - Date published: 10:53 am, November 16th, 2012 - 46 comments

The left needs to develop a new direction, not merely react to the ruling neoliberal discourses and policies. Under NAct there has been a resurgent masculinisation of politics, and the undermining of democratic processes.  How do we work towards a more inclusive, diverse participatory democracy?

We are all Latino now

Written By: - Date published: 9:48 am, November 9th, 2012 - 92 comments

Rabid Republican partisan Bill O’Reilly lamented the demise of “the white establishment” on Fox News. Take away the bitterness, prejudice, and racism, and O’Reilly is correct about some of the facts. Obama was elected by “minorities”, as predicted the Latino vote was particularly significant. Will an all white ticket win the presidential election ever again?