Am on an unusual sugar high at the present point, and with thoughts of next years elections in mind, and with nothing better to do I decided to come up with what I’d like to see in a political manifesto if I actually put in a party for the elections next year. Check it out:
That’s curious mixture of environmentally aware, fiscally conservative, constitutionally progressive, and socially both conservative and progressive thoughts. Half of it I think is excellent, half seems awful! 
Indeed, was mainly just ideas that have sprouted from conversations I’ve had and stuff I’d like to see happen. And it can’t be any worse then what the main parties will try and shove down our throats right?
You wanna discuss them point by point? Happy to hear criticism & contrary thought?
You’ll need 500 members to “put in a party”, plus $1,000 deposit to run a list.
OTOH, you need only $300 to stand as an electorate candiate.
More then welcome, sir.
[quote=“IdiotSavant”]You’ll need 500 members to “put in a party”, plus $1,000 deposit to run a list.
OTOH, you need only $300 to stand as an electorate candiate.[/quote]
I know that, I was just getting politically minded for a little bit and decided to theorize.
Yes. Marijuana is no more harmful than alcohol, it should be regulated and taxed in a similar manner.
If there were good fast trains to Wellington, I’d use them over flying. Dunno how funding for this stacks up.
“Fairer” is a pretty vague term. I think a more progressive tax system with a universal capital gains tax would be fairer. Getting rid of means of tax avoidance & evasion would be good too.
Not if this means a flat tax rate, as a progressive system is fairer and the added complexity is the price that has to be paid.
I don’t think any human has a right to inflict pain as a punishment on other humans (or animals, for that matter). Even if “light smacking” were harmless (and I’m not sure it is), having a clear law that you shouldn’t hit your kids helps us to move closer to a society where everyone knows that violence against children is not acceptable.
We have to pay tax somewhere. If the top tax rate went back up, which it should, then yes. EDIT: because GST hits the poor hardest, keeping it lower and keeping the tax for the top income tax bracket high is fairer.
No, we have a good number in terms MPs per voter.
Maori have a special role in New Zealand society as the “first people” (the indigenous people) of the country. As a people, Maori agreed to the settlement of the country under specific conditions outlined in the Treaty of Waitangi, and those conditions involved Maori having an ongoing special role. It’s a legal/constitutional document, there is no similar legal document for other ethnicities in NZ. The Maori seats are an appropriate manifestation of this special role. This country was not conquered, it was shared by agreement, which puts us in the happy position of having a better ethical foundation than most colonised countries. We should enjoy it, not resent it.
I would say “sustainable energy sources”, subtle but important difference. Doesn’t have to be “fuel”, and being “alternative” is less important than being sustainable and environment-friendly.
Mixed feelings on this. There’s an overhead in having elections so regularly. But on the bright side, it means we can hold them to account quickly so they don’t go rogue. The exact period needs a cost/benefit analysis.
I’m against whaling, it’s a cruel practice against species that may be at risk. On the other hand, it’s only one of many aspects of our relationship with Japan. It’s not like Japan is China, there aren’t that many other practices they have which are objectionable. I think we should oppose whaling, put on legal and social pressure, but I suspect an approach of limiting trade wouldn’t be practical.
Dunno what you’re aiming at here.
Reduce spending on what? Health? Police? Transport? Education? Arts?
[quote]* Increase Voter awareness, force MP’s to spend x amount of days in their electorate getting to know the people.
- One/Two Representatives for each constituency, one voter, one vote.[/quote]
Dunno what you’re getting at here.
Yes. It should integrate the Treaty of Waitangi and our various agreements with the UN, and we should move to a republic.
We need to make sure there aren’t reactive laws in place, yes. Seems like the police may have been given powers that they’re misusing.
My questions are on the broader picture of your party.
What, in your view, is the role and responsibilities of the Government, and why?
What, in your view, are the limits to government authority, and why?
What goal do you have for NZ society and NZ residents under your governance?
Who loses out from your policies?
What are the long term consequences of your policies?
* Legalisation and regulation of Marijuana, to free up police to focus on ‘P’ and the other more serious drugs.
Around 99% of substance abuse deaths are caused by alcohol and tobacco, so I hope those are the “more serious drugs”. I’m not keen on cannabis being saleable, having multinational’s pushing it would be a negative situation, IMO. Allowing adults to grow their own, and give some to their friends would be a workable approach.
* Overhaul the public transport systems in place in New Zealand. Look into reinstating Intercity/interdistrict train system, maybe even use tax on Weed to subsidize.
How about ensuring that the trucking firms pay for the damage they do to the roads. They only pay 56% of the cost of the damage they do, and if it was fully costed then the train options would be more competitive.
[b]* Implement a fairer tax. No loop holes, no exceptions. And everyone pays, even the rich.
- Simpler taxation, eliminate confusion.
- Lowering GST back to 12.5%[/b]
How about first $10,000 tax free ? Aussie has first 6,000. This would mean that everyone who earns money gets the benefit, unlike the recent tax cuts which advantaged the top 10% of earners way more than the rest of the population. Bringing GST back down is a good idea, perhaps considered removing food from GST (easier to do these days with computerised POS systems)
* Reinstate the smacking clause, give parents back their rights.
Bad idea. The “reasonable force for the purposes of correction” clause enabled some serious child abuse to take place, including with weapons. Violence has no place in our society, and enabling violence against our most vulnerable is appalling.
* Reduction of number of MP’s.
Less democracy is better democracy ?
* Elimination or reduction of the Maori Seats in parliament. If they get seats, then every minority should have some.
False premise. Te Tiriti was a partnership agreement at a time when Maori outnumbered Pakeha about 30:1. The Maori seats were originally used to ensure Maori had disproportionately small representation. Democracy is about representation, and Maori seats are about ensuring that the minor Tiriti partner is represented in parliament. I’d swap them for an Upper House that is populated along the lines of Te Tiriti partnership (half Maori, half Pakeha), but otherwise I think they should stay until Maori are no longer overrepresentitve in pretty much every negative statistic.
* Investigate alternative fuel sources, and their possible implementation.
What Ryan said, plus a focus on efficiency as well.
* Extension of Parliamentary Term to four/five years so they can actually something without having to worry about elections being around the corner.
Maybe, but regular accountability has benefits too.
* Push for an embargo on Japan until the stop their ‘scientific’ whaling campaign.
This may not be the best approach, for the reasons Ryan gave.
* Ensure that membership of University Student Organisations remain compulsory, and increase/remove caps on attendee’s. Develop the you flunk you’re out scheme.
Agree with the first statement, not the second (otherwise I would not have gained my degree).
* Reduce Government spending, increase payment of debts.
You mean even more than we have at present ? Paying back debt is a good idea, but you have to invest in infrastructure and capacity in order to provide quality services.
* Increase Voter awareness, force MP’s to spend x amount of days in their electorate getting to know the people.
Most MPs already do this. What about list MPs ?
* One/Two Representatives for each constituency, one voter, one vote.
What about list MPs and Party Votes ? Sounds like FPP, which is totally shite system.
* Solidify a constitution for New Zealand.
I agree, it’s about time we enshrine Te Tiriti.
* Serious reviews of all the bills passed in response to 9/11 and terrorists and terrorism.
Very good idea.
Overall, some of your ideas overlap with Green Party policy, whereas others would be at home in the hapless Kiwi Party and other reactionary parties.
I was thinking The Populist Party would be a good name for a vehicle for these policies.
* Reduce Government spending, increase payment of debts.
I always thing saying “Reduce Government spending” without saying where you’ll stop spending is about the same as not saying anything at all.
Where do you want to stop spending? Police? Education? Insulin? New Zealand’s Bicycle Lane?