democratic participation
Categories under democratic participation
- petition (23)
- political education (61)
- referendum (92)
- vote smart (30)
Community Organiser beats Money-market Man
Written By: - Date published: 11:28 am, November 8th, 2012 - 45 comments
Donald Trump says it’s not democracy, but that is essentially the story of the US election campaign. In the end, Democrat on-the-ground organisation beat Republican billion-dollar PACs. Obama’s background as a community organiser was crucial, while the Republican money came from the old economy. A good win, and much food for thought for us.
Random thoughts on MMP
Written By: - Date published: 4:14 pm, November 6th, 2012 - 36 comments
Colin James has expressed my response to Judith Collin’s politicialising of the MMP review. “Elections do not belong to MPs. Elections belong to the people. MPs should be very wary of appropriating what belongs to others.”. Self-interested bleating by Act and United Future doesn’t mean that National should go off and do another short-term hack of the good proposals as they did in after 1993. The recommendations are clear and an accurate reflection of public mood. Just implement them as they are.
Free Public Libraries Bill
Written By: - Date published: 10:15 am, November 5th, 2012 - 19 comments
Darien Fenton’s “Keep Public Libraries Free” Bill will soon be getting its first reading in parliament. Public libraries are an important community resource. Keeping their resources and services free contributes to social inclusion and participatory democracy.
Not in the public interest
Written By: - Date published: 8:47 am, November 3rd, 2012 - 89 comments
Some prominent “journalists” are working to undermine Labour and a possible Labour-Green government: one that could turn against the neoliberal scam that such “journalists” feed off. The left should take heart – the time has come to support the “public interest”, as outlined by Nicky Hager.
Hager on politics and journalism
Written By: - Date published: 9:31 am, November 2nd, 2012 - 20 comments
A couple of nights ago Nicky Hager gave his Bruce Jesson lecture on “Investigative journalism in the age of media meltdown: from National Party Headquarters to Afghanistan”. It is well worth a solid read, particularly his nine actions for democratic renewal.
From Sugarbags to Foodbanks
Written By: - Date published: 11:00 am, October 31st, 2012 - 60 comments
Sugarbags are a symbol of self-help in the 1930s Depression. Foodbanks are a symbol of the failure of consumer capitalism. Should the left reclaim Labour’s original core values? What are those core values, and are they still relevant today?
Let’s sing it! Songs for ‘ordinary’ people
Written By: - Date published: 11:55 am, October 19th, 2012 - 109 comments
Revolutions, political movements and protests are fueled by songs. They bring people together in common cause, draw attention to devastating conditions, reassure the oppressed that they are not alone, and inspire people to take political action. What songs have engaged, inspired, or motivated your political conscience and compassion? Update: : The winner is…
Banks must now submit correct return
Written By: - Date published: 11:43 am, September 14th, 2012 - 53 comments
John Key is wrong, John Banks has broken the law. He just did not get prosecuted. The return of donations he signed and submitted in 2010 is false, as the Police have stated. He should now correct it, or he is still in breach of the law.
CIR & the silience of the citirats
Written By: - Date published: 11:28 am, September 10th, 2012 - 6 comments
The Nats’ lines on the citizens-initiated referendum on asset sales are very weak: ‘we don’t care because we have a mandate’ and making up stories about invalid signatures. Those lines will only hold until the petition is certified by the Clerk of the House later this year. Then, they’ll have to grow up a little. Their first decision will be when to hold the referendum.
Quarter of a million signatures to Keep Our Assets
Written By: - Date published: 9:26 am, September 3rd, 2012 - 41 comments
The Keep Our Assets Coalition has now collected 250,000 signatures for the petition for a referendum on asset sales in just four months. You need to help with the big final push – the Spring Collection – to get the last 60,000 signatures and the 10% spares within the coming month.
Conscience votes
Written By: - Date published: 7:06 am, August 28th, 2012 - 91 comments
Two high-profile conscience votes are coming up in Parliament over the next two days. It will be interesting to see the breakdown of who votes which way on the issues. But the level of malice expressed by some of those opposed to marriage equality is disturbing.
Turn off turnout – National’s 2014 strategy?
Written By: - Date published: 3:56 pm, August 27th, 2012 - 41 comments
Depress turnout among low-income voters by changing the enrolment rules – it’s an old right-wing trick. The Republicans are doing it in the US – it looks like National may try it on here. They should not succeed.
The wrong conversation
Written By: - Date published: 9:57 am, August 15th, 2012 - 78 comments
There has been a lot of discussion on the direction Labour is heading and the direction it should go. There have been some very valuable contributions by Mike Smith, Rob Salmond, Jordan Carter and Josie Pagani. I don’t have much to add to this other than, I think, they are having the wrong conversation. There […]
On Democracy
Written By: - Date published: 2:54 pm, August 14th, 2012 - 97 comments
KJT defends the principle of Democracy against the same old arguments. Most of the objections apply to any system which allows the public a say in Government. As again we have the party in Government telling us, “We won the election. We can do whatever we want. A dictatorship.
Greens have 100,000 signatures to Keep Our Assets
Written By: - Date published: 5:54 pm, July 28th, 2012 - 39 comments
The Greens have collected 100,000 signatures for the Keep Our Assets Coalition petition to force a referendum on asset sales – in fact, my Asset Keeper email says they were up another thousand at the end of Friday. The Coalition’s total is rapidly approaching 200,000. That’s after just 3 months. Another 150,000 or so to go – with margin for invalid signatures. Play your part.
Asset sales fight cont…
Written By: - Date published: 12:29 pm, July 9th, 2012 - 7 comments
As the Sir Graham Latimer and the Maori Council launch their bid to halt asset sales in the Waitangi Tribunal, the grassroots campaign is gathering steam too. This Saturday is to be a National Day of Action.
Save TVNZ7 March
Written By: - Date published: 1:03 pm, June 26th, 2012 - 5 comments
After a large number of meetings around the country in the lead up to the turn off of TVNZ7, we finally get to the rallies:
Wellington 28th June – 12 noon from Civic Sq to Parliament
Auckland 30th June – 4.30pm from QEII Sq (bottom of Queen St) to St Matthew-in-the-City
Nats’ pollster reveals asset sale plan
Written By: - Date published: 9:34 am, June 23rd, 2012 - 250 comments
National pollster and Herald columnist (I know!) David Farrar has revealed what National has up its sleeve for asset sales. No, I’m not talking about how they would put ‘mums and dads’ at the ‘front of the queue’, or any such nonsense. I’m talking about how they will attempt to de-legitimise the referendum or, alternatively, try to slam the sales through before it happens.
Good on the Greens
Written By: - Date published: 7:13 am, June 19th, 2012 - 104 comments
The Greens have hired the equivalent of 8 full-time staff for two months to get their signature collecting as part of the Keep Our Assets Coalition rolling. It comes out of the fixed budget allocated to the party’s leaders’ office – not one additional cent from the taxpayer, just a choice: other parties spend millions of taxpayer money on polling. It’s a good use of our money.
Quarter of the way there
Written By: - Date published: 6:49 am, June 17th, 2012 - 66 comments
The Keep Our Assets Coalition has collected a phenomenal 80,000 signatures already, quarter of the way there. The signatures are pouring in. Collecting will get harder closer to the end but we’re going to get our referendum – if we all play our part. If you haven’t signed, or your friends and family haven’t, download the form and send it in.
No asset sales without a referendum!
Written By: - Date published: 6:45 am, June 15th, 2012 - 137 comments
Peter Dunne would be really, really smart to back the Green amendment. He could still vote for the asset sales law but claim some moral high ground in saying ‘no sales until after the referendum’. Then, when the result is overwhelming opposition, he can do the commonsense shuffle and switch to opposing asset sales. It would be too late to stop the law passing but it might just save Dunne’s skin in 2014.
Nats to slam through asset sales
Written By: - Date published: 10:44 am, June 8th, 2012 - 59 comments
After hearing 150 oral submissions and receiving thousands more written ones, National’s members of the Finance and Select Committee shut down the Committee’s consideration of the evidence they had heard on the asset sales bill after just 1 hour. And why not? They had had Treasury write the Committee’s report before the submitters were even heard. Now, the legislation goes back to the House 6 weeks early to be slammed through its final stages.
Abbott does a runner
Written By: - Date published: 7:41 pm, June 1st, 2012 - 7 comments
Tony Abbott fled from the Australian Parliament on Wednesday. He was trying to avoid his vote being recorded if newly independent Craig Thompson supported the Coalition on a closure motion. Running away won’t help Abbott whose numbers are at record lows as Labor improves. Instead of a leadership spill in Labor we could see one in the Coalition.
MMP Review: Last Day
Written By: - Date published: 12:57 pm, May 31st, 2012 - 1 comment
Today is the last day for submissions to the MMP Review.
If you haven’t done so yet, make sure your have your say – it only takes 5 minutes for the short submission.
Give the future a vote
Written By: - Date published: 1:32 pm, May 5th, 2012 - 93 comments
How to we improve the consideration of long term issues in the political process? How do we build in incentives to take these issues seriously?
Another MMP rort?
Written By: - Date published: 11:50 am, May 4th, 2012 - 44 comments
The media are doing a good job investigating John Banks’ donation history. The Police are presumably also doing theirs, and it seems clear that the matter must end up in Court and the issue of who is telling the truth will be decided by a judge. Some in the media have dismissed the question of any threat to National’s majority. Short-term maybe, long-term I’m not so sure.
Not for sale hikoi arrives in Wellington
Written By: - Date published: 7:21 am, May 4th, 2012 - 99 comments
The Aotearoa is Not For Sale hikoi departs from Te Papa for Parliament at midday today. There has been great turnout in towns and cities all over New Zealand. Join in if you can. Also, remember to sign the Keep Our Assets petition and get involved (via Labour or the Greens) in collecting signatures. We can still save our assets.
10,000+ at Auckland anti-MOM protest
Written By: - Date published: 3:14 pm, April 28th, 2012 - 87 comments
Lots of people… get down to Britomart.. Mind you Britomart is filling up rapidly. They need a few more megaphones by the look of the crowd. Penny Bright sucks at chants. 😈 Slowly moving off. This is mining protest levels… A lot of people… Seriously slow. Walked 50 metres. Really good humoured and highly social. […]
Keep our assets petition is live!
Written By: - Date published: 9:20 am, April 28th, 2012 - 28 comments
The wording for the citizens-initiated referendum has been approved. Now, we just need to get 300,000-odd signatures. The petition form is here but the Keep Our Assets Coalition needs more than your signature, you need to help get signatures too. The Greens and Labour are signing people up for the campaign. Rallies in Auckland and Nelson today as part of the Hikoi. Official campaign launch: Wellington, May 10.
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