It would help if you included the post you are referring to.
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Sorry fp. It was for the previous post. Hard to write anything on my smart phone without my glasses.
Belg,we can't vote on issues like the sugar but we can have cross party consensus and conscience votes in the house. The mps we elect vote for us.
And motherhood and apple pie issues - like raise pay rates for fire fighters. Who could argue against a pay rise for the brave men and women who risk their lives etc etc, Followed by similar petitions for many other groups. Followed by tax increases, insurance increases, goods and services increases, inflation increases ..... Or politically motivated opposition such as the NZ First petition and referendum for compulsory personal super accounts. 92% against. I never understood why there was so much opposition to it esp in light of later events.
I do not trust the average person to properly familiarise themselves with any subject which could be put to a vote. That's public-bar politics. Listen to a couple of talk-back programs and you'll soon hear knee-jerk, half-baked, ill-informed comments to any and every matter that arises. Whatever system we have neither you or I will agree with every decision, but at least our parliament with its select committees are a long way above the mob-mentality that often surfaces with the hot topic of the day.
Where do you view yourself in relation to the "average person"?
Personally I think the crowd will make better decisions *if* they are given all the relevant information.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Wisdom_of_Crowds
A fair proportion of the crowd wouldn't give two hoots about even glancing at the relevant information. They will already know what they think, rightly or wrongly, with anything that concerns them, or if not particularly interested in the particular subject, will not vote - leaving the door open for any nutter group who can muster the numbers.
what i find interesting after reading the last 2 days of posts is that it seems people are more scared of each of other than the politicians that are picked by political parties.
Political parties are naturally biased to their political views, and bring in new candidates on a regular basis to fill their ranks as time moves on....... the trouble is......
they only accept candidates that pass the parties political views...... therefore........ an endless same old same old.
I trust a vote by all eligible kiwis on one issue (( an important issue )) above that of political party propaganda
A referendum vote is not something that is taken lightly, and its not designed for small to medium issues, and is also expensive.
But..... for serious issues which politicians have trouble "crossing the floor" with..... or are just "out of touch"
a referendum is an important tool to be used wisely and carefully.
once the people speak, politics will have to listen.........
from this....... the politicians will learn about the true "state of the nation" and pan political decisions can be done.
this has to be good for NZ as a whole.
NZ is going through dramatic change in a social aspect.... ie.... the olde school kiwis, the new immigrants and the young folks.
we all think and live differently and more people are accessing media of different forms away from the traditional tv and newspaper
to get the information that they are interested in......
ergo kim dotkom.....
now he is a smart man....... he joins up with the mana party ....... which he realizes only needs a very small amount of votes to secure a parliamentary seat,
and dotcom to attract numbers of young and non political thinking votes....... and WOLLAH..... he has power to alter politics!!!
I would rather support a referendum of ALL eligible voters than mana/internet swaying the course of politics.
end of the day....... rightly or wrongly...... the days of first past the post are gone...... mmp as it now, wont last in its current form,
the technology for easy mass voting is coming and when it hits........
I hope the current crop of politicians understand where and what this is going to do to our land.
The most prominent thing I have learned in the last 2 days is how scared folks are of the "guy down the road" or "in the next town"
when it comes to voting.
I truely believe that most kiwis are in the central band of life and given a chance on one topic will do the right thing.
this helps us as country and also helps politicians.
lucky for you lot........ I only have one vote.