Tuesday, 5 July 2005
@ 12.01 pm
Catharsis
Give me one, cause one is best
In confusion, confidence
Give me piece of mind and trust
Don't forget the rest of us
Give me strength, reserve control
Give me heart and give me soul
Wounds that heal and cracks that fix
Tell me your own politik
I was meaning to write this blog at some stage last week, but, as is so often the case, never really got round to it. The comments were originally going to be an off the cuff, not really thought through, semi-diatribe about things that are bothering me in the current New Zealand political climate. They still are, with some things subtracted and some things added.
First off, the primary source of this blog is my growing annoyance and frustration at all things political in the country at the present time. It's that whole phoney war, not-really-calm before the storm of the election period that is grinding me down - where the opposition gets to take pot shots at the government (who are, after all, the only ones who can make mistakes of any gravity, as they are the only ones who can actually do anything, being in power and all) without having to put up, well, anything, bar some annoyingly smarmy billboards which simplify the issues to such an extent that it makes my teeth hurt. I feel as though National is like that, not particularly gifted in any sense, kid who hassles other children, calls them names, threatens, taunts and all the rest, then runs and hides behind mummy's legs when the other kids turn round and say "Well, you want some then? Bring it!"
And while part of me understands that it's the nature of the game, it doesn't make it any prettier to watch. And the fact that (if the polls are to be believed) it's working just adds to the frustration.
One of the issues that is the most annoying to me is that of tax cuts. I'm not an expert on them, and I don't propose to argue for or against them based on any concrete economic knowledge (so am ready to stand to be corrected), and I'll admit I'm ideologically predisposed towards supporting taxes, but the fact that proponents of cuts continuously point to Australia (where they're, overall, taxed more than we are here) and say that the lower personal tax rates there are why New Zealanders are migrating to Australia annoys me mightily. There are many reasons why people I know go to Australia, and I guarantee not once has anyone said "I'm going because the taxes are lower there". They go (IMHO here people, IMHO) for the adventure, for the higher wages, the greater opportunities to be found in a larger economy, perhaps the fact that the Aussie dollar is stronger and so not only do they earn more, what they earn is worth more... and while tax rates will no doubt have an impact on some of these economic aspects, they do not, by any means, affect all of them and I'll put a lot of money on the line to say that they aren't in the vast majority of cases explicitly thought of as a reason to go over. (People actually in Australia, shoot me down or back me up as you see fit.)
And if I hear one more stupidly highly paid business owner or CEO complain that their workers need a tax cut... how bout a pay rise instead? I believe that workers pay rises have lagged considerably behind those of CEOs and upper management over the past few decades, and those same CEOs and upper management types are the ones who will no doubt benefit most from any cuts anyway, and paying people more might just *gasp* convince them to stay in New Zealand rather than buggering off overseas.
Of course, my annoyance is not simply targeted at National or New Zealand First or those that support the vague and rather nasty and divisive "policies" of these parties, but at the government itself. They are making mistakes - the muck ups are coming thick and fast at the moment - and I'm left feeling like I'll be voting against the possibility of a rightwing/conservative/National (take your pick) led government, rather than for a leftwing/liberal/Labour led one. It irks me to feel pressured to vote in such a way like I'm casting a negative vote, not a positive one, and I wonder if that's true of many people, and if so whether that's a factor that drives down the turnout of a party's voters come election day - they don't want to vote for the opposition, but they don't want to endorse the party they normally support either, so they stay at home.
I feel like I wake up to the news each morning waiting for that next pr nightmare for Labour - like continuously holding my breath in anticipation of the next awesome misstep to come to light. This morning wasa case in point with that kiwi aircraft engineer held in the States for not having the right work permit for seven weeks, even though the British guys je was with were sent home after the first week. Chances are, the government did what it should have and did everything it could have. Problem is, doesn't sound that way, and no one stuck their hand up to say that it was that way. Not a good look.
I think I'm also pining for actual, real leadership in New Zealand - a political leader who can come along and blend charisma with inclusive, liberal, forward-looking, responsible policies and a tangible desire to do what's right for the country as a whole. Why is it that charismatic leadership, in New Zealand at the very least, seems to go hand in hand with being the likes of Winston Peters or Brian Tamaki? Where is the leader who can sweep New Zealanders off their feet? Or is perhaps a leader who appeals to all a casualty of multiculturalism and the many New Zealands that now exist? Perhaps if there is not one, overarching national myth or "people" there cannot be a leader who joins us all together? Or perhaps just not a leader in the old mould, perhaps a new form/style of leadership is needed...
A leader to unite behind in an increasingly fragmented world. Perhaps this is a reason to support a presidential style system? Although results from elsewhere might suggest otherwise.
Anyway, for my own part where do I stand? I've pretty much settled on voting Green as a party vote (tactical voting - I'd hate to see pretty much the only viable leftwing partner of Labour get, say, 4.9% of the vote and lose out entirely) and Labour as electorate (even though Gerry will no doubt win again), and I'm (pending actually getting round to filling out the forms and updating my CV) applying for a position in a polling booth come election day. So yeah, I think I'll go and do "my bit", I just hope that by the time the day rolls around voting will feel like a positive thing to do, and my frustration and annoyance will have somewhat abated.
