General Election Day in NZ

New Zealand GE results in confirming there will be a change in Government with a shift to the right. Same old political cyclical shift with NZ tired of the left this time.

Personally sad but it was inevitable.
 
That's disappointing. I quite liked Chris Hipkins. Luxom not so much.

There was also a big vote in Australia today as well as NZ. The Voice referendum to give indigineous people a formal constitutional recognition in Parliament. The majority have said No. Very sad.
 
That's a shame really liked Jacinda Ardern and was surprised she resigned earlier on in the year thought she and her party were doing well
 
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Mmmm, disappointing but expected .

Lurch to the right here we come. Please do not complain about reduced health service, benefits etc and do not get sick.

Although happy for the greens.
 
NZ is a conservative country and even the liberals are conservative by international standards so this shift back to the right is no real surprise.
IMF said NZ has one of the best economies coming out of covid and had one of the best covid responses that if not done would have seen at least another 20,000+ deaths (from a population of 5 mil).
The govt borrowed billions to keep the country going, giving out big subsidies to businesses to keep people employed and their businesses going. But during the election campaign the right did a good job of pointing out the huge debt this has left the country (despite those parties saying during the pandemic that the Govt wasn't doing enough for businesses and should be doing more).
And the right is now promising to cut social services to get rid of the debt. So the business people benefited from the debt and the new govt is going to punish the poor to get it paid back.
It seems all those people who were happy to take the money to keep them employed or their businesses going are now punishing the previous government for getting into debt to do that.
Bizarre, but history shows that governments that see a country through a major crisis, especially if they do a good job, still get kicked out at the next election as people associate them with that crisis, even if they handled it well.
But the good thing is NZ only has a three year term...
 
bungydinsdale said:
NZ is a conservative country and even the liberals are conservative by international standards so this shift back to the right is no real surprise.
IMF said NZ has one of the best economies coming out of covid and had one of the best covid responses that if not done would have seen at least another 20,000+ deaths (from a population of 5 mil).
The govt borrowed billions to keep the country going, giving out big subsidies to businesses to keep people employed and their businesses going. But during the election campaign the right did a good job of pointing out the huge debt this has left the country (despite those parties saying during the pandemic that the Govt wasn't doing enough for businesses and should be doing more).
And the right is now promising to cut social services to get rid of the debt. So the business people benefited from the debt and the new govt is going to punish the poor to get it paid back.
It seems all those people who were happy to take the money to keep them employed or their businesses going are now punishing the previous government for getting into debt to do that.
Bizarre, but history shows that governments that see a country through a major crisis, especially if they do a good job, still get kicked out at the next election as people associate them with that crisis, even if they handled it well.
But the good thing is NZ only has a three year term...
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Ah the old national debt is exactly the same as household doubt thing eh? Works wonders every time for the right.

I don't understand why people care about it so much. It's not their personal debt. And while there are obviously consequences if a country goes too crazy with spending, particularly on the wrong things, they're not as significant as the right always make out (if they even bother to explain them properly, which they don't).

Not to mention the argument seems to be "we need to cut the national debt otherwise the country won't be afford to run public services. We'll do this this by sharply cutting public services" šŸ¤¦ā€ā™‚ļø

The Tories here have been being "careful with the economy" and cutting public services for over a decade now. By any measure it's been a disaster and yet still people fall for it. Insanity.
 
festa5 said:
Ah the old national debt is exactly the same as household doubt thing eh? Works wonders every time for the right.

I don't understand why people care about it so much. It's not their personal debt. And while there are obviously consequences if a country goes too crazy with spending, particularly on the wrong things, they're not as significant as the right always make out (if they even bother to explain them properly, which they don't).

Not to mention the argument seems to be "we need to cut the national debt otherwise the country won't be afford to run public services. We'll do this this by sharply cutting public services" šŸ¤¦ā€ā™‚ļø

The Tories here have been being "careful with the economy" and cutting public services for over a decade now. By any measure it's been a disaster and yet still people fall for it. Insanity.
Click to expand...
exaccery festa5
 
An update on our political situation following National's victory over Labour. They didnt win an overall majority so have to enter into a coalition with the NZ First party ( the UKIP of sorts here and their leader Winston Peters who is a bit like Farage).

Winston is pretty much holding the country to ransom for his own personal gainā€¦ absolutely disgracefulā€¦ meanwhile NZ is absent from one of the biggest word stages (APEC leaders)ā€¦šŸ˜”

This is what PR can bring you. As NZ First got more than 5% vote (they got about 6%) they get some seats and the right to hold the country to ransom through coalition negotiations
 
And it's actually going to be a three-way coalition with ACT (Association of Consumers and taxpayers) also part pf the negotiations. ACT are to the right of NZ First (also known as Winston First after party leader Winston Peters). National (the Tories) got 38% of the vote, ACT 8.6% and NZ First 6%
The National Party leader promised a strong and stable government when elected, a month after the election we haven't actually got a government yet, other than the previous Labour Govt which has had it's stay in the Beehive (NZ's Parliament) extended while the 3 parties sort out their agreement, but it has little power to actually make any laws.
 
NZBoro1 said:
Not sure it will last the 3 years tbh.

However, I am a fan of MMP over first past the post. Think it makes people feel more involved if they vote for and support the smaller parties.
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I get why you think that but the downside and the price you pay is the possibility that extreme parties have a disproportionate amount of influence and power. Imagine if UKIP and Farage got what was it in 2015 10% of the seats what his conditions would have been for coalition. Thatā€™s the downside but I do favour some electoral change.
 
Thatā€™s true, and itā€™s whatā€™s happening here now.

I donā€™t think there will ever be a true democratic system, but first past the post isnā€™t it. It gives too much power to the 2 largest parties.

At least here the greens and te Pati Māori have seats and a day. In a first past the post system they would be swallowed up.

Itā€™s not that usual to take this long to form a government.
 
Abel Tasman said:
An update on our political situation following National's victory over Labour. They didnt win an overall majority so have to enter into a coalition with the NZ First party ( the UKIP of sorts here and their leader Winston Peters who is a bit like Farage).

Winston is pretty much holding the country to ransom for his own personal gainā€¦ absolutely disgracefulā€¦ meanwhile NZ is absent from one of the biggest word stages (APEC leaders)ā€¦šŸ˜”

This is what PR can bring you. As NZ First got more than 5% vote (they got about 6%) they get some seats and the right to hold the country to ransom through coalition negotiations
Click to expand...
Thereā€™s an argument though that FPTP keeps the nutters in the tent micturating outwards. And as we know over here that can give you Johnson, Dorries, Braverman and an 80 seat majority on a smidgin over four votes in ten. Itā€™s the electorate voting for the nutters that you need to deal with. No system can deal with it if they do.
 
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