Category: Democracy
Can an individual make a difference? Sheryl Savill would like to think so. Sheryl is the instigator of the Citizens Initiated Referendum petition on smacking. Launched in February last year, her petition asked the question, “Should a smack as part of good parental correction be a criminal offence in New Zealand?”
I am not normally one to get involved in politics or public demonstrations. But when I realised how the anti-smacking bill would directly affect the way I was raising my children, I just knew that I had to do something. And I discovered very early on that I wasn’t the only one who felt this way - many of the parents I talked to thought the bill was ludicrous. So ludicrous, they felt that there wasn’t even a need for a petition… surely our politicians weren’t that blind. The ironic thing about it was that many children also thought it was illogical!
The Electoral Finance Bill, which seeks to impose complex restrictions on how people can engage in the democratic process during election year, was reported back from the Justice and Electoral Select Committee last week. (To read the Committee’s report click here )
Now after the Auditor –General has concluded that much of Labour’s election spending was an illegal use of taxpayer’s funds, the government’s solution is to decide that the taxpayer must fund political parties.
Allegations of corruption in New Zealand’s Parliament have now escalated to new heights. During a radio interview this week, Tariana Turia described how the Maori Party was offered $250,000 in return for supporting the Labour Party after the election. This “inducement” was intended to secure Labour the numbers to govern.
Next year's census will be held on March 7th and it will be followed by the Maori Electoral Option. This five-yearly survey gives electors of Maori descent an opportunity to choose whether they want to be registered to vote on the Maori roll or the general roll.
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