democratic participation
Categories under democratic participation
- petition (23)
- political education (61)
- referendum (92)
- vote smart (30)
NRT: Everybody knows the dice are loaded…
Written By: - Date published: 6:45 am, July 5th, 2017 - 137 comments
I/S at No Right Turn writes: “Around the world, we’ve seen a backlash against political establishments, driven in part by a recognition that economic and political systems are rigged to the advantage of the rich. And we have the same sentiments in New Zealand”
Northern Ireland
Written By: - Date published: 7:56 am, June 11th, 2017 - 58 comments
In the wake of the UK election hung parliament, issues are emerging with the Conservatives/DUP coalition and its effect the Northern Ireland peace process, that bring into question the Tories’ ability to govern.
UK General Election discussion post
Written By: - Date published: 6:14 am, June 9th, 2017 - 173 comments
General discussion thread for the UK election.
Pre-UK election discussion
Written By: - Date published: 6:05 am, June 8th, 2017 - 79 comments
“It’s election week, I f*cking love it…” – Jonathan Pie.
Green Party List announced
Written By: - Date published: 9:18 am, May 31st, 2017 - 21 comments
Climate change, human rights, indigenous rights, Māori and Pasifika, and fresh, young faces on the 2017 Green Party List.
Gangs to vote – a hopeful sign for turnout?
Written By: - Date published: 11:02 am, May 29th, 2017 - 32 comments
Is this an isolated case or is it representative of a change of mood in the non-voting electorate?
Why Islam is incidental.
Written By: - Date published: 12:21 pm, May 26th, 2017 - 133 comments
How (According to The Guardian) a neo-nazi turned Islamist flipped terror narratives upside down.
Hey Kids: Voting’s Fun!
Written By: - Date published: 7:05 am, May 19th, 2017 - 30 comments
The Jonathan Pie guide to voter engagement.
Mental health problems are a figment of our imagination and the work of anti government protesters
Written By: - Date published: 11:33 am, May 10th, 2017 - 17 comments
according to Health Minister Jonathan Coleman
Prefigurative politics: being the change you want to see
Written By: - Date published: 12:30 pm, May 9th, 2017 - 10 comments
In election year, we have some choices about how to proceed.
The patriotic millionaires
Written By: - Date published: 11:54 am, May 3rd, 2017 - 128 comments
In America a group of millionaires have emerged who are advocating for increased taxation for the wealthy and increased democratic rights to everyone else.
Stewart: “Dying days of democracy”?
Written By: - Date published: 2:11 pm, April 27th, 2017 - 59 comments
Probably not, but after 9 years of Brighter Future / Dirty Politics it certainly can feel that way.
“We are unstoppable, another world is possible”
Written By: - Date published: 9:36 am, April 15th, 2017 - 45 comments
Activism and protest done well, here are the faces of the emerging climate justice movement in NZ.
Little’s court win good for democracy
Written By: - Date published: 9:23 am, April 12th, 2017 - 111 comments
The defamation case against Andrew Little has been an unwelcome distraction while he should have been free to do his job as leader of the largest opposition party. The consensus is that the process delivered a qualified win for Little, and a clear win for democracy.
Cat Among the Pigeons
Written By: - Date published: 9:56 am, March 14th, 2017 - 94 comments
Nicolas Sturgeon to seek the authority of the Scottish Parliament to agree the details of a Section 30 Order that will allow the Scottish Parliament to legislate for an independence referendum.
Racist campaigns and attack ads
Written By: - Date published: 7:03 am, March 10th, 2017 - 32 comments
A couple of racist groups seem to be hawking their wares recently. Unfortunately this may herald the start of a dirty election, dragged down by well funded and unaccountable pressure groups.
Slightly smug about MMP
Written By: - Date published: 8:00 am, March 4th, 2017 - 22 comments
2017 will be New Zealand’s eighth election under MMP, over 22 years. With very strong democratically elected governments appearing right across the world digging in for the long term, it’s useful to take a moment for MMP.
Encouraging Signs
Written By: - Date published: 1:32 pm, March 3rd, 2017 - 25 comments
A refreshing shift in NZ’s political environment.
Willie Jackson on democracy
Written By: - Date published: 10:12 am, February 22nd, 2017 - 38 comments
Willie Jackson is using his return to the political spotlight to good effect.
Is this the impossibility turning point?
Written By: - Date published: 8:11 am, February 14th, 2017 - 49 comments
There’s a wonderful fiction still propelling the world that the 21st century will bring an ever-expanding arc of freedom and prosperity to the vast majority of humanity but the reality seems to be anything but.
Maybe Trump is what the left needed
Written By: - Date published: 8:30 am, January 28th, 2017 - 72 comments
Donald Trump’s ascendancy to power presents the left with the chance of showing that progressive politics is a much better choice than the alternative.
How do we increase voter participation?
Written By: - Date published: 7:02 am, January 17th, 2017 - 218 comments
Fewer people, particularly young people, are voting. How do we turn this around?
Ten steps towards victory for Labour
Written By: - Date published: 8:30 am, January 13th, 2017 - 239 comments
A guest post by Labour Activist Enzo Giordani on what Labour needs to do this year to win the election.
Faith in democracy falls
Written By: - Date published: 8:12 am, December 1st, 2016 - 42 comments
Is the belief that democracy is essential falling in “Western” countries? In New Zealand particularly so?
America’s broken democratic system
Written By: - Date published: 9:20 am, November 27th, 2016 - 92 comments
Through partisan control of the electoral system and continuing attempts to suppress votes America’s electoral system is in clear need of an overhaul.
Democracy can be refined
Written By: - Date published: 8:00 am, November 15th, 2016 - 125 comments
Democracy is difficult. Government is far too complex and ordinary people have neither the time nor the inclination to spend time to understand it properly. So what are the alternatives?
Legalising civil disobedience and the culture of change
Written By: - Date published: 12:23 pm, November 12th, 2016 - 13 comments
Change happens at the intersection of the edge and the mainstream.
Trump scooped up the white vote that Democrats abandoned
Written By: - Date published: 12:05 pm, November 11th, 2016 - 83 comments
Trump laid siege to the Democrat’s “Blue Wall” and they didn’t respond to or recognise his strategem until far too late.
Re-post: Eva Hartshorn-Sanders for Senior Vice President
Written By: - Date published: 10:31 am, November 5th, 2016 - 1 comment
Earlier this year the Standard’s authors offered candidates for the upcoming Labour Party internal elections the chance to guest post about why they’re running. We’re reposting them now ahead of tomorrow’s vote.
Re-post: Tane Phillips for Māori Vice President
Written By: - Date published: 10:25 am, November 5th, 2016 - 2 comments
Earlier this year the Standard’s authors offered candidates for the upcoming Labour Party internal elections the chance to guest post about why they’re running. We’re reposting them now ahead of tomorrow’s vote.
Re-post: Beth Houston for Senior Vice President
Written By: - Date published: 10:21 am, November 5th, 2016 - 1 comment
Earlier this year the Standard’s authors offered candidates for the upcoming Labour Party internal elections the chance to guest post about why they’re running. We’re reposting them now ahead of tomorrow’s vote.
- Lake Alice survivor realises house bus dream with redress payment
Robyn Dandy plans to use her $150K payment to go on a South Island roadtrip with her pets in honour of the grandson she's lost. ...7 days ago - Cabinet sets aside $22.6m for survivors tortured at Lake Alice
Analysis: More than 50 years after the first children were tortured at Lake Alice, the Government has announced redress, which includes either a rapid payment of $150,000 or an uncapped personalised payment.The Prime Minister set expectations that redress for Lake Alice survivors would be announced before the end of the ...7 days ago - Final decisions on TVNZ restructure to be announced in coming days
TVNZ's chief executive Jodi O'Donnell appeared before MPs at select committee on Wednesday for its annual review and outlined the big costs for the company. ...7 days ago
- Let’s take the boat out! 5 tips on staying safe on the water if you fancy a drink
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Amy Peden, NHMRC Research Fellow, School of Population Health & co-founder UNSW Beach Safety Research Group, UNSW Sydney View Apart/Shutterstock Australia is a nation of boaters, with one of the world’s highest rates of boat ownership. There are about one million ...1 week ago - A bitter rivalry is emerging in the Middle East between two old adversaries over the future of Syria
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Amin Saikal, Emeritus Professor of Middle Eastern and Central Asian Studies, Australian National University The Conversation; Mohammed Badra (EPA), Maxim Shemetov (Reuters Pool/EPA), Stoyan Nenov (Reuters Pool/AP) The fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime in Syria has opened a new front for ...1 week ago
- Flying this holiday season? Here’s why air travel makes us so cranky – and what to do about it
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Milad Haghani, Senior Lecturer of Urban Risk & Resilience, UNSW Sydney Shutterstock The holidays are coming, airports are packed and emotions are running high. You’ve probably seen it or even been part of it: that tense moment when a passenger snaps ...1 week ago
- Minister Needs To Listen To The Evidence On Engineered Stone Ban
“We need to follow Australia’s example and implement a total ban of engineered stone, a dangerous product that is killing workers,” said Polaczuk. ...1 week ago - How to not hug people you don’t want to hug this holiday season
You dread it, but they love it: here’s how to tell your family you’re hoping for a no-contact Christmas before they wrap their unwanted arms around you. There is nothing like Christmas to bring the blow of family obligation hurtling through your otherwise enjoyable life like a wrecking ball. And ...1 week ago - MPs Should Take A Break & Reject Easter Trading Bill
We reject any liberalisation of Easter trading laws and also Anzac and Christmas days because workers deserve this special annual break to spend time with their families. ...1 week ago
- Watch: Lake Alice survivors to get $150,000 each in redress
Erica Stanford has unveiled the government's redress plan for those tortured at the psychiatric hospital. ...1 week ago
- Peters considers legal action over judge’s ‘verbal attack’
New Zealand First leader Winston Peters is considering legal action after a district court judge and a celebrity doctor “verbally attacked” him and other party members at a Christmas function.On Wednesday, The Post reported District Court judge Ema Aitken and intensive care specialist David Galler had apologised after their actions ...1 week ago
- A return to balanced budgets is a decade away, mid-year update says
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra The federal budget is headed for a deficit of $26.9 billion this financial year – $1.3 billion better than the estimate in May – but in the following three years the budget is forecast to ...1 week ago
- Labor and Albanese end 2024 in worst poll position this term
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Beaumont, Election Analyst (Psephologist) at The Conversation; and Honorary Associate, School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Melbourne A national Essential poll , conducted December 11–15 from a sample of 1,151, gave the Coalition a 48–47 lead including undecided, unchanged ...1 week ago
- How feelings of disconnection and lack of control fuel conspiracy beliefs – new research
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Elianne Albath, Postdoctoral Research Associate in Social Psychology, University of Basel Conspiracy theories have always been a part of society, offering explanations – sometimes simple, often elaborate – for complex events. Some have uncovered genuine conspiracies, such as the Watergate scandal. ...1 week ago
- Watch live: Lake Alice survivors to get $150,000 each in redress
Erica Stanford has unveiled the government's redress plan for those tortured at the psychiatric hospital. ...1 week ago
- The Spinoff’s favourite music of 2024
From Eden Park stepping up to rappers stepping each other out, we look back at the best of music this year. Read The Spinoff’s favourite TV shows of 2024. We’re a very small team here at The Spinoff, but we’ve tried our best to up our music coverage this year. ...1 week ago
- Vanuatu quake: Missing MFAT staff found safe, NZ offers search and rescue help
There are 58 New Zealanders registered as being in Vanuatu, though MFAT expects there are more who are not registered. ...1 week ago
- Government consults on engineered stone benchtop ban
Australia banned its use and manufacture in July. ...1 week ago
- Chris Penk rejects bid to change Petone’s name to Pito One
Chris Penk has said no to the change after it received backing from the . ...1 week ago
- How the Fast-track Approvals Bill became law
The contentious Fast-track Approvals Bill is now law - but it hit a few speed bumps on the way. ...1 week ago
- In six hours, everything changed: Watching Korea’s political turmoil from afar
In the aftermath of Yoon Suk-Yeol’s attempted insurrection, South Koreans around the world have been making their voices heard as they defend their homeland’s democratic institutions. Aotearoa is no exception, explains Rebekah Jaung. As we forge on ahead Those who live, follow on – from the song ‘March for Our ...1 week ago
- Kindergarten group fears rule overhaul will lower standards
Most early childhood groups backed changes to the sector's rules but Kindergartens Aotearoa said the review was focused on the needs of businesses rather than children. ...1 week ago
- Vanuatu quake: Death toll rises – 14 dead, hundreds hurt in 7.3 disaster
RNZ News The death toll from Vanuatu’s 7.3 earthquake is expected to rise because concrete buildings have collapsed with people inside in the capital Port Vila. International Federation of Red Cross Pacific head of delegation Katie Greenwood posted on X that the Vanuatu government was reporting 14 confirmed fatalities and ...1 week ago
- What happened to the Queenstown KFC road sign?
The iconic ‘No left turn except access to KFC’ road sign has vanished. Joel MacManus investigates. Queenstown is home to many of the world’s great natural wonders: Lake Wakatipu, The Remarkables and the only known skeleton of the New Zealand Mountain Dolphin. But all the beauty of mother nature pales ...1 week ago
- Calf’s head consommé with truffle quenelles: a history of what the royals ate for Christmas, from...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Lisa J. Hackett, Lecturer, Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences, University of New England Rijksmuseum As we prepare our Christmas fare – a hot roast with all the trimmings, a seafood smorgasbord or a beach-side barbecue – it is timely to think ...1 week ago
- Astronomers’ world-first discovery: twin stars trapped in galactic black hole orbit
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Luke Barnes, Lecturer in Physics, Western Sydney University A laser aims at the centre of our galaxy, in the heart of the brightest part of the Milky Way. G. Hüdepohl/ESO At the centre of the Milky Way is a supermassive black hole ...1 week ago
- Most journalism fails Australians by failing in its reportage of Indigenous affairs. 7 changes would...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By T.J. Thomson, Senior Lecturer in Visual Communication & Digital Media, RMIT University Alessia Francischiello via Unsplash Much has been written about the longstanding failings of the Australian media in its reportage of Indigenous affairs. The most recent example is the ...1 week ago
- We studied 20 places around the world and found the most common diseases linked with voluntary assis...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Eliana Close, Senior Research Fellow, Australian Centre for Health Law Research, Queensland University of Technology Ground Picture/Shutterstock More and more countries are legalising voluntary assisted dying. This lets a doctor, or sometimes a nurse practitioner, give life-ending medication to an eligible ...1 week ago
- A push to cool Australian cities may inadvertently increase our skin cancer risk, unless we act
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Hugh Stanford, Researcher Associate, Centre for Urban Research, RMIT University Picture this: you’re working from home and it’s sweltering outside. You venture out for a coffee and move between patches of shade as you go. Good thing you wore your sunglasses, because ...1 week ago
- Some ancient Romans got to retire with a pension at 42, but retirement’s changed a bit over the ce...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Anthony Asher, Associate Professor in the UNSW Business School, UNSW Sydney siloto/Shutterstock This article is part of The Conversation’s “Retirement” series where experts examine issues including how much money we need to retire, retiring with debt, the psychological impact of retiring ...1 week ago
- Glam tidings of joy: how Slade made Merry Xmas Everybody a seasonal hit for the ages
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Alison Blair, Teaching Fellow in Music, University of Otago Getty Images Are you hanging up your stocking on your wall? It’s the time that every Santa has a ball! You’ve probably just heard the 1973 Slade classic at the ...1 week ago
- The very long road to fiscal recovery
Treasury’s latest update showed only small glimmers of light at the end of the tunnel, writes Stewart Sowman-Lund for The Bulletin. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign up here. ...1 week ago
- Opposition accuses Nicola Willis of ‘creative accounting’
The finance minister's new indicator for measuring the budget has led to accusations of creative accounting from opposition parties. ...1 week ago
- Zombies given new life as fast-track passes into law
Ministers behind the bill say allowing certain projects to avoid extra scrutiny was a feature, not a bug, as fast-track is set for royal assent The post Zombies given new life as fast-track passes into law appeared first on Newsroom. ...1 week ago
- Waitangi trust chair urges Christopher Luxon to show up Treaty grounds
The Waitangi National Trust chair hopes Christopher Luxon makes his way to the Treaty grounds for the annual commemorations. ...1 week ago
- Early childhood education regulations ‘excessive and confusing’ – Ministry
Children in early learning are at an unacceptable risk of harm due to gaps in the way the sector is monitored, the regulatory review of early childhood education says. ...1 week ago
- Allegations against TAB’s operator spark money laundering scrutiny
Racing Minister won’t say what’s being investigated: ‘You don’t tell a burglar when the cops are going to turn up’ The post Allegations against TAB’s operator spark money laundering scrutiny appeared first on Newsroom. ...1 week ago
- How the Fast-track Bill Approvals became law
The contentious Fast-track Approvals Bill is now law - but it hit a few speed bumps on the way. ...1 week ago
- The 2024 Golden Jandals for conspicuous contributions to NZ politics
Charge your glasses and gather around for the latest edition of the world’s most coveted footwear-themed political prizes, with your hosts, Toby Manhire and Ben McKay. Forget boot camps. This is the jandal academy. Affordable, rubbery, and radiating that unmistakable aroma of sea salt and toe sweat, the official ceremony ...1 week ago
- Our outlandish political predictions for 2024, revisited
This time last year, our esteemed team of political pundits made their wildest predictions for the year of our Lord 2024. Did anyone make an accurate call? Let’s find out. Madeleine Chapman: Barbara Edmonds reluctantly takes the position of Labour leader or deputy. Somewhat surprisingly, there has been no movement ...1 week ago
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