democratic participation

Categories under democratic participation

On referenda and democracy

Written By: - Date published: 12:45 pm, June 18th, 2009 - 64 comments

I have to disagree with the guest post below, which argues that because citizens’ initiated referenda tend to be brought by groups peddling an interest (so what?) and often deal with complex issues we should just put them in the too hard basket and leave it to the politicians to sort it out. Somehow, that’s […]

Do citizens-initiated referenda hamper democracy?

Written By: - Date published: 11:39 am, June 18th, 2009 - 23 comments

It’s hard to argue with the idea of referenda. What could be more democratic than citizens deciding precisely what issues the New Zealand public should consider, and taking a vote on them? Won’t that process get people thinking, encourage participation in the democratic process and make politics more accessible? Isn’t it the kind of democracy […]

After the shake-up

Written By: - Date published: 3:05 pm, June 14th, 2009 - 16 comments

Ever growing numbers of workers aren’t playing the old game any more. Shawn Hattingh has a good piece over at znet documenting some of the moves permitted in the emerging new game. From ‘bossnappings’ in France to occupations and full workplace takeovers and the adoption of self management systems in places as diverse as Scotland, […]

Can’t you play off to one side?

Written By: - Date published: 12:57 pm, May 25th, 2009 - 93 comments

Last year a small number of truck companies held the ‘truck strike’, they got 4000 trucks to jam the CBDs of every major city in New Zealand because they were unhappy about a 1% increase in their costs from higher Road User Charges. The Right applauded. Lefties, including some on The Standard, criticised the protests’ […]

McCarten hits the mark

Written By: - Date published: 12:04 pm, May 17th, 2009 - 23 comments

Matt McCarten makes some very valid points about the lack of democracy within political parties in his Herald column today. Using the Lee fiasco as a stepping off point he talks about the dangers of candidate selection, and indeed all major party decisions, being made by a small group of party faithful. Lee’s meltdown shows […]

NACT prefer to have a filibuster

Written By: - Date published: 5:11 pm, May 16th, 2009 - 39 comments

The ongoing filibuster is highlighting the intransigent nature of the NACT government. NACT ministers are getting annoyed by having to remain at the house to push through their legislation. However there is a perfectly reasonable offer on the table – but they’d prefer to have the filibuster maintained rather than get the holes fixed in […]

Has anyone asked them what they think now?

Written By: - Date published: 12:46 pm, May 15th, 2009 - 7 comments

Moana Mackey has been looking at old Hansards in a post on Red Alert. The topic was the Local Government Act changes in 2002. It is a revealing look at the change of attitude by National MP’s on the process of consultation for local government changes. A couple of examples: Phil Heatley: I was disturbed […]

Have your say, make them listen

Written By: - Date published: 5:03 am, May 12th, 2009 - 14 comments

The government has announced its legislative plan for the supercity in a press release from John Carter, rather than Rodney Hide whose arrogant mishandling of the issue is privately blamed by National for the growing unrest in Auckland. The press release says: Now that the Government has announced our position on the Royal Commission’s Report into […]

Backlash building on supercity

Written By: - Date published: 11:30 am, May 5th, 2009 - 25 comments

The unseemly haste with which the National/Act Government is pursuing its undemocratic supercity is causing more and more people to wake up to the con job they are pulling. A Reid poll (ignored by the Herald but run by the community newspapers) shows where just weeks ago the public was split evenly on the proposed […]

It’s good enough for Wanganui

Written By: - Date published: 7:21 am, April 29th, 2009 - 11 comments

Rodney Hide refuses to give Aucklanders their referendum on the supercity and one of the excuses he offers is the cost: “The difficulty with a referendum is it would cost a million dollars” So what kind of things do councils find it worthwhile holding referenda on? Here’s what the people of Wanganui got to vote […]

Right’s excuses fall flat

Written By: - Date published: 5:56 pm, April 26th, 2009 - 40 comments

David Farrar, head of the Free Speech Coalition and renowned democracy fighter, has outlined the Right’s reasons for opposing letting the people of Auckland decide whether they want the Government’s proposed supercity. The post contains a bizarre level of personal abuse against Phil Goff but all that does is highlight the weakness of the actual […]

Hide says no to referendum

Written By: - Date published: 5:59 am, April 25th, 2009 - 18 comments

Rodney Hide says Aucklanders  shouldn’t have a vote on whether or not they want his supercity. He uses one of the weaker arguments the righties have been running in our comment threads “it’s not just a `yes’ or `no’ question” Yes it is. The question of how a super-city should be structured is not a ‘yes’ […]

Look Mum they stole my city …

Written By: - Date published: 3:15 pm, April 23rd, 2009 - 28 comments

After the success of the meetings about the super-city in Waitakere and Manakau yesterday, here are a few more of interest in date order. We will issue reminders when they are due. From the notice on the Grassroots Labour site about a public meeting in Waitakere. Time April 27, 2009 from 8pm (now correct time) […]

Govt’s refusal to listen sparks protests

Written By: - Date published: 12:45 pm, April 23rd, 2009 - 9 comments

The government’s refusal to listen on its fast-tracked Supercity plans is already resulting in protests. The unrest that’s building should hardly come as a surprise. I can certainly understand Aucklanders not wanting to be dictated to by Wellington – especially when the outcome is ACT running their city. I’m still at a loss as to […]

Aucklanders must have their referendum

Written By: - Date published: 5:07 am, April 22nd, 2009 - 27 comments

In 1999, Napier and Hastings had a referendum over whether their councils should merge. They voted against it. In 2005, there was a referendum on Banks Peninsula and Christchurch City merging. The people voted for it. The Royal Commission report says that the normal process for council mergers set by the Local Government Act (schedule […]

Has National changed its policy on the super-city?

Written By: - Date published: 3:30 pm, April 21st, 2009 - 23 comments

Yesterday I pointed out that the Local Government Act requires referenda on boundary changes such as are envisaged for Auckland. To not do so would be to use the parliamentary rights to amend legislation to remove a required consultation with the citizens of Auckland. It appears likely (from Graeme) that NACT will put forward a […]

Rob Thomas: Taking the Local out of Local Government

Written By: - Date published: 1:00 pm, April 21st, 2009 - 4 comments

A long contribution from someone in centre of the local body issues in Auckland. Despite its blatant electioneering, it is interesting enough to post here for a slightly different (and milder) slant. The lack of any effective role for the proposed local boards that makes them useless is discussed below the break. After extensive consultation, […]

Worrying about the big stuff

Written By: - Date published: 6:00 pm, March 4th, 2009 - 12 comments

In the age of the media politician, where catch-phrases are given more attention than laws and good politics is awarded more points by the commentariat than good government, it’s not fashionable to worry too much about the health of our constitutional arragnements and our institutions. But I do. Here’s some of the things that have […]

Democracy and the BOFH, Jonkey, and S92A preparations

Written By: - Date published: 5:59 pm, March 4th, 2009 - 53 comments

Reply is a feature that accidentally got turned on last week when I had a adware/malware outbreak through a security hole (those buggers are smart and fast). I did complete reinstall with updated software. Somewhere during the upgrade, the reply feature was turned on. Now I’ve been occupied by moving house for the first time […]

ETS submissions open

Written By: - Date published: 2:48 pm, January 4th, 2009 - 33 comments

Submissions for the review of the Emissions Trading Scheme have opened but will close on the 13th of February. Given the time of year that’s a reasonably short submitting period, especially for legislation that has such far-reaching implications for New Zealand’s economy and international reputation. I expect the vested industry interests will have their submissions […]

Vote smart: Winnie cleared but too late

Written By: - Date published: 5:39 pm, November 4th, 2008 - 33 comments

New Zealand First has now been cleared by the Police or any illegal behaviour. That’s three from three but too late. I’ve never had a lot of love for Peters. Yes, economically NZF is left-wing and they were an important bulwark against the neoliberal revolution. Yes, he’s a cheeky bugger and often hilarious, and its […]

Vote smart: The Maori seats

Written By: - Date published: 2:26 pm, November 2nd, 2008 - 33 comments

Each of the Maori seats presents an opportunity for tactical voting for a left-wing voter. If you favour the Maori Party candidate in your seat, and you think you can trust them to support working with a Labour-led government, then go ahead and vote for them. But give your party vote to the Greens or […]

Vote smart: The micro parties

Written By: - Date published: 11:58 am, November 1st, 2008 - 101 comments

Last election, 7,000 people gave their votes to very small left-wing parties that never had any chance of winning a seat in Parliament. That’s 0.3% of the vote; a small but not insignificant amount. If those votes to the Alliance and Aotearoa Legalise Cannabis had gone to the Greens instead (who, after all, have 99% […]

Vote Smart: Wellington

Written By: - Date published: 2:16 pm, October 29th, 2008 - 40 comments

In Wellington Central and Ohariu-Belmont, left-wing voters have the opportunity to use their candidate votes wisely to help good left-wing candidates to victory, and keep out two conservative dinosaurs. Wellington Central is a two-horse race between Labour’s Grant Robertson and National’s homophobic former ACT MP Stephen Franks. Wellington Central was a firmly Labour seat last […]

Vote smart: Epsom

Written By: - Date published: 1:40 pm, October 21st, 2008 - 58 comments

I’ve come in for a bit of flak for this ‘Vote Smart‘ series of posts on how people can make the most of their vote but I don’t resile from it. It seems to me the criticism is based on a quaint notion that there is an optimal party and candidate for everyone and they […]

Vote smart: Progressives and Wigram

Written By: - Date published: 11:25 am, October 17th, 2008 - 52 comments

Vote smart is a series of posts on tactical voting for people who support certain parties or live in certain electorates to help you maximise your vote. Today, the Progressives and Wigram: Since the last election, the Progressives have failed to register in half the Roy Morgan polls and never broken 1%. For a party […]