TOP Party one to watch in this election

[Logen Ninefingers]

Exactly. People have very short memories, and while I fully agree that Labour has let us down, they did not create the current situation all by themselves. National contributed to it during their stints in government, and are also responsible for the mess we now find ourselves in.




They have my attention.

At the end of the day, TOP are not going to get over 5%.

[iceman]

At the end of the day, TOP are not going to get over 5%.

Therefore are a wasted vote, whatever you think of their policies.

[justakiwi]

I realise that, but you know what? Maybe it doesn't matter. I think there is a lot of truth in Black Peter's post and comments. We can't keep on doing the same thing we have always been doing. Maybe we need to start thinking outside the square. Maybe we need to move away from this thought process that we can't vote for a party unless they stand a chance of getting at least 5%. Maybe we should go ahead and vote for them - and if we all did that - maybe they would get over the threshold.

At the end of the day, TOP are not going to get over 5%.

[BlackPeter]

... and they do have a health policy which even makes sense :

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KHzseyYs3cI

Only NZ party I heard of looking into the causes for deteriorating public health.

[BlackPeter]

... and actually - they are not a one trick pony. I think their housing policy makes a lot of sense:

https://www.top.org.nz/affordable-housing

I know, taxes are always unwelcome, but its hard to build a future if you don't invest.

What they propose is to put a (low) tax on the land value of urban properties (and reduce the income tax instead - i.e. for most people it will end up tax neutral or even positive). The outcome would be a better use of land, because several units on a certain piece of land would attract less tax per unit.

On top of that they want to enable councils to allow more land development by returning some of the collected taxes to them and at the same time require them to have a sufficient landbank to keep housing affordble.

Better use of the limited resources we have ...

[Daytr]

Look - that's what they used to say about the Green Party as well. Sure - it took them some time, but look where they are now - and on the way they did help already the other parties to develop green policies.

Sure - TOP may or may not get this time into parliament (but I think they have a real chance with Raf Manji in Ilam).

Important is for them and their ideas to get more public exposure ... and even if just the other parties steal some of their ideas, this would be of benefit, wouldn't it?

Personally I am getting sick of tactical voting - and just check, what the tactical voting did last time for the farmers.

I think its time to vote for whoever one thinks is best for the country ... and to be honest, while I am closer to National as to Labour - none of these parties did a lot of good if you measure them at their outcomes: A once outstanding health system is now in tatters, a once top of the OECD education system delivers now ways below average results, and both National (by underfunding it) as well as Labour (by politicising them and not understanding how to fix them) destroyed them together.

And ACT? Well, what their austerity policies would do to an already strained public service, look no further than the UK.

Which of these parties would you suggest we should vote for to give our education and health system the coup de grace? I personally prefer to vote instead for a party with ideas to improve the system instead of tactically voting for the pundit who might do the smaller aditional damage.

Well said. I think we should all move to Ilam. 😅

[Logen Ninefingers]

Well said. I think we should all move to Ilam. ��

If you and BP move there, Manji will still come second or third. As to what 'we all' are doing as regards to our votes, check the poll for the details. Not many people going for TOP.

[justakiwi]

Maybe not, but ST is far from representative of the general voting population. Thank God.

Not many people going for TOP.

[Logen Ninefingers]

Maybe not, but ST is far from representative of the general voting population. Thank God.

Well TOP is over-represented in the poll numbers here, so bear that in mind. Out in the real world they are polling at approx 1% with a week to go until polling open.

[justakiwi]

You are missing the point Black Peter is making. For things to change, we need to think and do things differently. As he said, it took time for the Greens (and ACT for that matter) to gain supporters and eventually secure a place of influence in NZ politics. If all the greenies had just thrown in the towel on the premise that voting for the Greens was a wasted vote - the party would not be where it is now. That line of thinking has the potential to ensure NZ never gets anything different or better. It is time to stop with the boring strategic “vote for the party that will do the least damage” mantra. As I have repeatedly said, it does not sit well with me personally and I am feeling less and less inclined to compromise my own philosophies and values purely to vote a party out. It is nothing more than “settling” - and it achieves nothing over the long term. We just rinse and repeat ad infinitum. You may be happy to support that frustrating cycle of ineffective government, but I am not.

Black Peter’s posts today, have been thought provoking for me, so thanks BP.

Well TOP is over-represented in the poll numbers here, so bear that in mind. Out in the real world they are polling at approx 1% with a week to go until polling open.