Monday, 19 September 2005

Advance NZ comments on 2005 Election outcome

There is only one certainty in the wake of the 2005 General Election. The parties making up the next Government will spend the next 3 years considering their failures rather than celebrating any long-term successes for New Zealanders.

Regardless of who forms the next administration the issues our politicians have spent much of their time and a lot of our money debating over the past 6 years will still be the focus when the 2008 poll comes around.

The outcome of this election is as clear an indication of the almost equal division of our society as it is possible to gauge. The lack of commitment by any of the now incumbent parties to attack the cause of that division does not provide comfort or confidence for anyone, especially the younger generation who will be paying the cost of the new governments' failure in increased debt servicing and higher costs.

The reason for that is the failure of respective Governments to address the fundamental driver underpinning the problems. That driver is the use of a flawed and outdated mechanism to inject money into the economy in the form of interest bearing debt. Until a mechanism is adopted by Parliament that ensures capital for essential infrastructure is provided free of compounding debt, the issues of the quantity and quality of health, education and social service delivery will remain unresolved.

Changing the voting system back to first past the post, as is being promoted by some vested interests, also will not provide a solution to the economic problems that drive the issues on which people generally decide their vote. Indeed it would make a great deal of sense to extend the present proportional system by utilising single transferable voting for future elections, coupled with the use of binding referenda.

That would enable the country to be divided into say 20 electorates of 5 representatives, thus resulting in a Parliament of 100 MPs and the opportunity for voters to have a say on contentious issues between general elections. That would promote a more co-operative and progressive attitude amongst politicians and the parties and policies they stand for.

ENDS

© Scoop Media