Posts by Angela Hart
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Speaker: Why you should vote, in reply to Rosemary McDonald,
Integrity and principals, morals and ethics.
I don't understand how casting a vote compromises the voter's integrity, morals or ethics. Principles perhaps.
I agree that the potential outcomes are worrisome, but think that's all the more reason to vote, and to encourage others to do so too.
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And some of the vote buying that goes on would be obvious.
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Speaker: Why you should vote, in reply to Richard Aston,
Then they'd be seen to be worth something!
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Hard News: The silence of the public square, in reply to Rosemary McDonald,
There have only ever been two politicians who I would consider to be worthy of voting for...those with intelligence AND integrity, commitment and humility.
Marylin Waring....not standing...pity.
Catherine Delahunty...not in my electorate.
Catherine Delahunty depends entirely on Green party votes to return to parliament. You have a party vote.
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Thanks James, this is a good way to explain it and I agree that it is foolish not to vote. However, our system is sorely lacking in the checks and balances which should ensure that the leadership takes note of the populace. You only need look at the public health and disability amendment act 2013 to see that.
http://www.legislation.govt.nz/act/public/2013/0022/latest/whole.htmlThis bill removes a specific legal right from New Zealanders
Tariana Turia still believes that she voted against this bill, which as Minister for Disability issues, you'd expect. But the reality is that because it was put through under urgency and as part of the budget, and the Maori party is required to vote with the Nats for confidence and supply, her vote wasn't recorded as she wanted.
It is really important to vote, in order to obtain as much as possible in the way of checks on the abuse of power, but we may also need to build more checks and balances into our system. For that we need a government which truly represents its people, which requires a high voter turn out.
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Hard News: Steven Joyce: Prick or Treat, in reply to Matthew Poole,
We should aspire to be in at least the top third of the OECD on metrics of social progress and well-being, work out how to fund that progress, and then be where we end up being for tax take against the OECD average. Starting with the question of "How much should we tax?" seems to be rather putting the equine beast before the towed, wheeled carriage.
And there you have it. Should New Zealand's government be minimal, virtually divested of responsibility for infrastructure, encouraging business but unconcerned about social progress or should this country's government be focussed on the quality of life of its people?
The subject of this post personifies the first view. -
Access: Respect, please, in reply to Sacha,
Nothing hugely controversial but I do recall an effort on improving disability parking provision, that's what I was thinking of. I'm in two minds about Attitude, on the one hand it does get some stories told and shows aspects of life with a disability that Joe public doesn't usually notice, but on the other there are so many opportunities it chooses not to take. Such a shame, but it's most probably a survival issue.
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Access: Respect, please, in reply to Rosemary McDonald,
I have tried, and given up, trying to get our two NZ on Air funded disability programmes (Attitude and One In Five) to do a comparison and/or a "walk a mile in my shoes" programme on tetraplegia under ACC compared with tetraplegia under MOH.
Forget it.
Why?
Attitude avoids politics and controversy. It didn't used to but ....
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Access: Respect, please, in reply to Christine Peet,
Christine, you wouldn't be the person you are if you were walking, I know many people who would not change their lot, except perhaps in relatively minor ways, but who deserve more respect than they get.
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Hard News: Steven Joyce: Prick or Treat, in reply to Jeremy Andrew,
Science is terribly badly funded in NZ and it's incredibly silly because science and technology are the areas we need to develop and even this government accepts that.
My job used to be promoting science and technology careers but the gap in earnings between pure science and pure technology is enormous. People are best to follow their interests but the money they can earn is a big incentive for teenage students making career decisions. And for highly qualified scientists looking to pay off loans and also looking for work in their fields which is increasingly difficult to come by in NZ.
As for the hoops which must be jumped through to get funding for research, they get smaller and further away all the time. This country is the biggest loser.