“Wellington Central’s high number of unregistered voters is testament to public disillusionment with politics,” says Alliance MP and Wellington Central Candidate Phillida Bunkle.

“Richard Prebble’s ‘hands off’ approach to government has led him to do nothing for the electorate and people believe that voting makes no difference anymore,” says Phillida Bunkle.

8084 Wellington Central eligible voters have not yet enrolled for the General Election, approximately 20% of the electorate.

“If people thought their vote would mean their views would be heard then they would register. However the public knows Mr Prebble is ideologically committed so he won’t be listening. Furthermore Mr Prebble’s hiding away in Parliament, absence from the electorate and residence in Auckland has done nothing to inspire confidence in the representative system.”

“Wellington voters feel disenfranchised by the fact that National and Act are doing deals to manipulate their voting choice. This wheeling and dealing undermines the integrity of politics and is a real threat to democracy. Only with inspirational and visionary representation will people regain faith in parliamentary politics,” says Phillida Bunkle.

ENDS

© Scoop Media

Gordon Campbell: On the Sony cyber attack

Given the layers of meta-irony involved, the saga of the Sony cyber attack seemed at the outset more like a snarky European art film than a popcorn entry at the multiplex.

Yet now with (a) President Barack Obama weighing in on the side of artistic freedom and calling for the US to make a ‘proportionate response’quickly followed by (b) North Korea’s entire Internet service going down, and with both these events being followed by (c) Sony deciding to backtrack and release The Interview film that had made it a target for the dastardly North Koreans in the first place, then ay caramba…the whole world will now be watching how this affair pans out. More>>