Elections - which will you vote for..

[cheese]

yeh but all n all theres not a HUGE difference between the 2 major parties. compared to many other countries where they have more radical govts ours are too similar to bicker over policies all day. while in other countries ie. peopleare losing their homes because the govt feels like it, and to get petrol takes a wait in a 7 hour que, we complain about paying a few extra cents.

nandors plan for decriminalisation of weed is something i'd support. i hardly ever smoke drugs myself, but instant fines for such a minor offense is much more viable that court apperences which cost the tax payer money. the same goes for first time offenders of other minor crimes such as disorderly perhaps?

[Cahuna]

My first election I voted Labour because I was p*ssed off with the (then) National government, changed my mind last time. I'm a right-wing person at heart so support free-market policies and a minimum of government intervention but University (the last bastion of Socialism?) made me see the sense in having governance in some areas. So these days I'm more centrist. Call me somewhere around NZ First or United Future on the political spectrum.

Would I vote for them though? No, as small parties they appear to have niche-policies to appeal to their target audience. Given I'm annoyed with the Labour attitude of telling us what is good for us, the lack of ability to get anything done around the place (building roads, running events, satisfying the silent majority instead of the vocal minorities) I'll be voting National but I do hope that one of the centre parties get in to moderate some of Nationals' more extreme policies.

I'm currently in Brisbane visiting my father and it's interesting to compare aspects of Brisbane with Auckland. Both have a similar population, both are fairly well spread out. Over here however they have a good bus and rail network for public transport, they have multi-lane motorways (just expanded to 3 lanes north of Brisbane with rumours they are expanding further to 4 lanes each way) and, most importantly, they look ahead to see what they need in 10 years time and take action to address it. It isn't like they need more lanes on the motorway (I went into the city yesterday morning in the middle of rush hour and only hit traffic on the motorway approx 5km out) but they see it being a problem in the future. Similarly they have (from memory) 6 different cross-city tunnels approved and waiting construction. By comparison NZ's busiest stretch of road (Newmarket Viaduct) has 3 lanes either way, the ARC want to put money into building a rail system that will cost megabucks and won't go where people need to go (at the expense of expanding roads for a decent bus-based public transport system) and what does get approved to be built then ends up being delayed indefinitely because of the RMA and funding problems. The fuel tax increase in April was to enable Transit NZ to bring forward roading projects, yet 2 weeks after its introduction they announced the Hobsonville leg of the northern ring-road motorway was being delayed due to insufficient funds and is now likely to end up as a toll road.

Sorry, this post ended up being a little long and vitriolic. In a nutshell though if National say they are going to change legislation so that things can get done then I'm willing to give them 3 years to see if they can keep their promise.

[cheese]

and also people who have gained residence permits and are found to be commiting crimes. We don't need more criminals to worry about, we are having enough problems with existing ones..

this has always been a belief of mine. instant deportation + a penalty for newcomers to the game if they go breaking the law in a serious manner

[Cahuna]

You will probably find the roading budget is all proportional - the smaller centres have less population, but the roads are also used less and road works are less frequent.

Between Auckland and Wellington, Wellington CBD roads are quite bad, but head out to lower hutt and the highway out there is really good. Hamilton, Rotorua, Tauranga, usually all nice main roads, but the congestion is pretty bad in Wellington and an absolute nightmare in Auckland ...

In theory yes, but in practice I don't know if Auckland does get 25% of the total roading budget. In reality I know that NZ is a largely unpopulated land-mass so people out in the country need proportionally more money to maintain their roads, I just get annoyed about people complaining they are subsidising Auckland's roading problems if us Aucklanders aren't getting back everything we put into the fund in the first place...

One thing I forgot to mention about Brisbane... currently over here 91 octane is around the AUD$1 mark (NZ$1.12 approx) and 95 octane AUD$1.05 (NZ$1.18 approx). Shows what value for money we get for our petrol tax dollars.

[Spannergal]

where's the undecided option for those of use yet to decide - eg still waiting for policies to come out.

[Adamal]

I read an interesting article in the latest Autocar tonight.

Labour currently has increased enforcement of policing on motorists. This has resulted in the Police having 'quotas' they have to forful, meaning they will try and ping you for anything they can to meet that quota.
Some people says this helps slow us down and makes the roads safer.
According to this article, the death toll hasn't decreased at all. And Labour is now making a stand for even harsher enforcement on motorists.

This will result in even MORE Police time being used on motoring enforcement and LESS on real crime. Crime has already increased by ~13% in the past 4 years, so I can only see this figure going up.
We live in a very nice neighbourhood full of decent people, one of the places you'd LEAST expect to be struck by crime, yet its starting to happen more frequently up here, so I can imagine how its effecting other places that already have high crime rates.

So the effects of the Police devoting more of their time to motorists effects me in both ways. I don't want this.
I won't be voting Labour.

[Scotty]

I am really surprised by the results at them moment. I personally believe that labour has not done anything that would lead to them being removed from power. While Helen may be bossy should the "boss" of the country be just that?

It will be interesting to see how Mr brash tax cuts turn out as it seams that he is trying to talk down how much he has lead the public to believe they will receive. I suppose all will be revealed over the next 2 months.

[cheese]

Crime has already increased by ~13% in the past 4 years, so I can only see this figure going up.

where did this figure come from? i heard crime was at its lowest. that could be national saying Crime (J-walking) has increased 13%. they have a way with words.

i found brash to look stupid on the news last night saying he has a big tax cut plan! when labour said that there isnt enough money in the budget for something like then don replied 'oh oh i know! it wont be irresponisble!'
sounds like good promises to me.

the police quota system is a right sucks thing because there are a lot of times when fines arent nessacery

[EVLGTZ]

i suppose if youre rich and white then sweet as! go national!

national it is then

[rustirolla]

well, i must admit, at first i was a little undecided about who to vote for, coz i'm not really phased by the whole thing but after reading a few of your posts my mind is made up... national for me thanks guys for your help

[cheese]

I am really surprised by the results at them moment. I personally believe that labour has not done anything that would lead to them being removed from power. While Helen may be bossy should the "boss" of the country be just that?

i think its just natural to hate the big power?
i dont think helen is really a bossy person, shes just a dedicated ugly MP. yay helen!

taxcuts are way overrated - ohhh a whole $2 extra a week! cant wait!

as well about the police quota system. is this something that national will remove? i highly doubt it. national being more right wing will be tougher on crime all over whether it be murder or speeding

[bad20v]

Here's a little Political thought for ya....


THE ORIGINAL STORY OF THE ANT AND THE GRASSHOPPER

The ant works hard in the withering heat all summer long, building
his house and laying up supplies for the winter.

The grasshopper thinks he's a fool, and laughs and dances and plays
the summer away.

Come winter, the ant is warm and well fed. The shivering grasshopper
has no food or shelter, so he dies out in the cold.

THE MODERN NEW ZEALAND VERSION

The ant works hard in the withering heat all summer long, building
his house and laying up supplies for the winter.

The grasshopper thinks he's a fool, and laughs and dances and plays
the summer away.

Come winter, the ant is warm and well fed.

The shivering grasshopper calls a press conference and demands to
know why the ant should be allowed to be warm and well fed while others
less fortunate like him are cold and starving.

TV1 and TV3 show up to provide live coverage of the
shivering grasshopper, with cuts to a video of the ant in his comfortable
warm home with a table filled with food.

Kiwis are stunned that in a country of such wealth, this poor
grasshopper is allowed to suffer so while others have plenty.

LABOUR supporters, the Greens and the NZ MAORI PARTY demonstrate in front of the ant's house.

TV1 , interrupting an Maori cultural festival special from
Waikato with breaking news, broadcasts them singing
"We Shall Overcome."

Helen Clark and Ruth Dykeson rant in an interview with Paul Holmes that the ant has
gotten rich off the backs of grasshoppers, and calls for an immediate
tax hike on the ant to make him pay his "fair share."

In response to polls, the Labour Government drafts the Economic
Equity and Grasshopper Anti-Discrimination Act, retrospective to the
beginning of the summer.

It is quickly passed through Parliament.

The ant's taxes are reassessed and he is also fined for failing to
hire grass hoppers as helpers.

Without enough money to pay both the fine and his newly imposed
retrospective taxes, his home is confiscated by the government.

The ant moves to Australia, and starts a successful agribiz company.

The TV stations later show the now fat grasshopper finishing up the
last of the ant's food though Spring is still months away, while the
government owned house he is in, which just happens to be the
ant's old house crumbles around him because he hadn't maintained it.
Inadequate government funding is blamed, retired Prime Minister Dame Helen Clark (also known as Sir Helen) now is appointed to head a commission of inquiry that will cost $10,000,000.

The abandoned house is taken over by a gang of immigrant spiders,
praised by the government for enriching New Zealand's multicultural
diversity, who promptly terrorize the community.
The grasshopper is soon dead of a drug overdose, the New Zealand Herald blames it on obvious failure of government to address the root
causes of despair arising from social inequity.

The Spiders await Legal Aide cheque to assist them to bring their 20,000 brothers and sisters to New Zealand, and to sue Social Welfare and Family Support sighting the $2,000 weekly benefit as being inadequate.

[Adamal]

Gold!!!!!! FAQ!!!!! SOMETHING!!!!!

[bad20v]

Gold!!!!!! FAQ!!!!! SOMETHING!!!!!

Sorry, but to be honest, I didn't write it myself. It was emailed to me the other day, but I think it expresses my views and the feelings of many other people I know, towards things in NZ.

[rustirolla]

oh so very true!!

[cheese]

oh so very true!!

its a nice story for sure. hardly accurate though and i believe there are deeper issues that show why 'the grasshopper' is less motorvated than the ant (rather than lazy).

a lot of this is pointed at the maori race (particually from don brash's finger).
helen is trying to slowly turn this motovation around by enriching the maori culture and by bringing new cirriculums into early childhood schooling so the education system will cater for european, maori and other races.

she is doing this without giving in to the absolutely retarded maori activists aswell.... and not just this but other sensitive issues like the civil union bill - a fair union (NOT A MARRIAGE) for ALL NZers wheather your gay or straight - its a great thing and would never had happened thru national.

the ant in the story which relates to the hard working NZer is hardly at a disadvantage like the story suggests, while helen is trying to help the situation, don would prefer to just stamp it out completely which is very old fashioned and backwards

[bad20v]

the ant in the story which relates to the hard working NZer is hardly at a disadvantage like the story suggests, while helen is trying to help the situation, don would prefer to just stamp it out completely which is very old fashioned and backwards

So is that why I'm paying 33% tax so some fat lazy b#@tard can sit on his a#se all day and collect the benefit, smoke his drugs/cigarettes, drink his beer and still drive around in a new commodore or falcon. Sometimes I think whats the point in trying to earn more money or get a higher salary/pay rise when I just get taxed more and more the higher my salary!!! And the 'grasshoppers' just get fatter and lazier while still get money from the government. Maybe if they made a bit more of a contribution to the economy, I wouldn't be paying $1.46 per litre for petrol aswell!!!!
Have you ever been to Otara in Sth Auckland?
There's 'State' housing everywhere for the 'poor grasshoppers'. And each one has a nice car or three out the front and a SKY Satalite Dish on the roof. All paid for by MY taxes.
And they still have their hands out for more!!!

[cheese]

the ant in the story which relates to the hard working NZer is hardly at a disadvantage like the story suggests, while helen is trying to help the situation, don would prefer to just stamp it out completely which is very old fashioned and backwards

So is that why I'm paying 33% tax so some fat lazy b#@tard can sit on his a#se all day and collect the benefit, smoke his drugs/cigarettes, drink his beer and still drive around in a new commodore or falcon. Sometimes I think whats the point in trying to earn more money or get a higher salary/pay rise when I just get taxed more and more the higher my salary!!! And the 'grasshoppers' just get fatter and lazier while still get money from the government. Maybe if they made a bit more of a contribution to the economy, I wouldn't be paying $1.46 per litre for petrol aswell!!!!
Have you ever been to Otara in Sth Auckland?
There's 'State' housing everywhere for the 'poor grasshoppers'. And each one has a nice car or three out the front and a SKY Satalite Dish on the roof. All paid for by MY taxes.
And they still have their hands out for more!!!

yep most of them have sky dishes and i dont agree with that - they should get food vouchers instead of money...

BUT i dont know about new holdens from tax money? it would take over 6 years of straight saving without paying rent/buying food to get money for a new holden. i know when i was on the benefit i certainly had $&#$% all to live on. yes they may buy these cars on finance or maybe some of them even have jobs? but still live in poor areas and require state housing because being a minority in this country makes it a lot harder to get a great job.

ive already said ive been on the benefit and its not all as easy as its sounds. its the same as i hear a lot of people complain about how prisioners in jail get it sooo easy with their sky tv/roast meals etc....yep those are nice luxerys (well theres $&#$% all on sky anyway) haha BUT freedom is worth a LOT more to anyone then those lil things.

unemployment is at its lowest level in many years so i think labour is doing something right in that area

[cheese]

and if every one of them has 1-3 nice cars and sky digital all from tax payers dollars then sign me up to the benefit again!

thats not reality buddy. its just the typical rich white thought that you are being sooo hard done by.

[bad20v]

and if every one of them has 1-3 nice cars and sky digital all from tax payers dollars then sign me up to the benefit again!

thats not reality buddy. its just the typical rich white thought that you are being sooo hard done by.

Ok, thats why the 'grasshopper' down the road from me got a hand-out for a $8000 falcon just so he can 'try' to go to job interviews and 'maybe' get a job. And that not the only case I have heard of!
And yes I have been on the benefit as well, was on it for two months before I got sick on sitting on my arse waiting for Work & Income to find me a job. I just went labouring for Allied Work Force instead, something alot of people on the benefit should do, but are too lazy to do so!!! Its so much easier for them to collect the benefit and dodge getting a job!