\u201cDemocracy is the worst form of government,\u2026 except for all those other forms that have been tried from time to time\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Fellow toastmasters and welcome guests<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This quote from Winston Churchill evinces our love\/hate relationship \nwith voting and government. There are many forms of governance with \nvarious levels of participation from Anarchy to Dictatorship. Our form \nof representative democracy gives us very little control over decision \nmaking but it has one big advantage. The possibility, probability and \nperhaps even certainty of regular and orderly changes of government. \n Because there is nothing that keeps a government in check more than \nknowing that sooner or later they will become the opposition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Over the next 7 weeks we will have the chance to decide who we want \nto govern us for the next 3 years. This is our only chance to have our \nsay, because after the voting is finished we go back to being passive \nrecipients of government decision making \u2013 good or bad, competent or \nincompetent, benevolent or malevolent. So how can we decide? Are we \nhard-headed rational actors, or do we decide based on feelings? Do we \nlike a party\u2019s policies or do we even trust them to follow through? Do \nwe know who is on a party\u2019s list, or do we just vote for the leader?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Restructuring has hit parliament and the MPs are having to re-apply \nfor their jobs. The roles are open to anyone. Now the parties and MPs \nare presenting their CVs and turning up for job interviews. It is a 3 \nyear contract with likely extension if they show competence. The \nunsuccessful candidates will have to wait another 3 years to apply. \n Anyone who has served on an interview panel will know what to look for \nin a candidate, and what can go wrong if you choose the wrong person.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Democracy is hard! It is up to us to put some effort into the \nchoice. If we go into the ballot box with no idea how we will vote then\n we are failing in our duty. We have not prepared enough and are likely\n to make an ill-considered choice. If we don\u2019t bother to vote because we\n can\u2019t put any attention to considering the options then we deserve any \nnegative consequences. We have seen overseas with Brexit, Duterte, and \nTrump that elections can make a big difference. We have also seen \nelections where there is no real difference as the ruling party doesn\u2019t \nallow it. Luckily in New Zealand none of the choices are likely to lead\n to disasters, but the parties vary enough that voting does make a \ndifference. So it is worth our while putting some effort into the \nchoice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As toastmasters we should be listening to politicians\u2019 speeches and \nevaluating them. We want to know how they are trying to manipulate us. \n What rhetorical devices are they using? Any awkward alliterations? \nAdvertorial style metaphors? Hyperbole, puffery and exaggeration? Do \nthey repeat themselves again and again and again and again? Is \nunderstatement likely? I think not!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Are they appealing to our minds, our hearts, our souls or our \nstomachs? Or do they appeal to baser emotions: fear, envy, greed or \nhatred? Are they concealing something? Are they trying to fire us up? \n Or put us to sleep? We should also be thinking about our listening \nskills. Are we hearing what they are saying, what they are implying, or \nwhat they are keeping silent about?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Do we remember what the government promised 3 years ago? Have they \ndelivered? What are they promising for the next 3 years. What are the \nother parties promising? Do we trust them to deliver? What happens if \ncircumstances change? (a war, a recession, an earthquake perhaps), who \ndo we trust to be capable, flexible and honest?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I urge you to go out and listen to the candidates, read their \nmanifestos, read the commentaries in the newspapers and talk to people \nyou trust. You should have the opportunity to meet your local \ncandidates. Go out and engage them in conversation. Most of them will \nbe quite different in person to what you see on TV. Ask them the hard \nquestions. Listen carefully and respectfully. No matter whether you \nlike their policies, pretty much all MPs go into parliament wanting to \nmake things better.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
You might choose to stay away from political blogs. They will \ntypically be biased in favour of or against some parties. The comments \ncould make you want to give up the thought of voting. The newspapers, \nradio and TV DO have some bias. Try to recognise bias, and think around\n it, but also remember that it might be you that is out of step! There \nare good objective and well researched commentary sites, but really you \nshould go to the sources (the candidates and the parties) and make up \nyour own mind.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you find someone or some party that you really want to be elected \nthen think how you might help them. Consider joining the party or \ndonating. Volunteer to help them with mailing or door knocking. Put up\n a sign on your front lawn and be prepared to talk to your neighbours \nabout your choice. As a member of a party you get to do some work, but \nyou also get to have some say in what gets done. Use your toastmasters\u2019\n leadership skills and join the local committee. Or better still use \nthe speechmaking skills and become a candidate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Most of us will not display that level of commitment to any one party\n or candidate. But still we can carefully weigh up the differences. Is\n it tax cuts or welfare? Business or environment? Regulation or \nderegulation? The differences are not always clear, but we should be \nclear about what we are looking for to be able to choose the best \nrepresentative for us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
How do the promises of the various parties match our own morals and \nphilosophies? What have they done in the past that has gone well or \nbadly? All of us will have our own core concerns. Do we value honesty \nor are we prepared to accept being lied to for the sake of getting \nthings done? Do we value openness in government or do we accept that \nthe government knows best and doesn\u2019t need to share the details.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Some people will say that it doesn\u2019t matter who we vote for, because \nthey are all liars, and they all put themselves first. \u201cDon\u2019t vote it \nonly encourages them\u201d some might say. But I think this is cynicism and \njust encourages the worst practices. While none are perfect, there are \ndifferences and you can choose to vote for the ones that best match your\n values. Competence and ability are required, as also are passion and \nrespect.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In New Zealand we get two boxes to tick. One vote for the local \ncandidate should go to the best candidate, regardless of what party they\n come from. Feel free to split your vote if you want! The second tick \nis for the party. Remember that the party vote determines who is the \ngovernment, so be careful who you give that to.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
You may decide that no party or candidate is worthy of your vote. \n Think carefully about this. We don\u2019t expect politicians to be perfect.\n They are human after all. If you object to them all then perhaps you \nmay choose not to vote. I would recommend going into the voting booth \nand writing \u201cno confidence\u201d on the paper. It will be recorded as an \n\u201cinformal\u201d vote. It doesn\u2019t count. It will go into the same box as \nthose who intend to vote, but make some mistake. However it is \nrecorded, and is not the same as just not bothering.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In other countries, in other times people have had to fight for \ndemocracy. In other countries, in other times ballots are accompanied \nby bullets and voting is dangerous, yet still people risk turning out to\n vote. In other countries, in other times people have carelessly given \nup the right to vote and then suffered the consequences. We are lucky. \n We can vote for the candidate of our choice without any risk to our \nsafety or employment. Not voting would be disrespectful to our \npredecessors who fought for our rights and to those in other countries \nwho would love to have our power.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The election is not really for the candidates. It is about us and \nour chance to influence the next few years in New Zealand. This is our \nchance to make a difference. The candidates are working hard to be \nnoticed by us. The promises, the candidate meetings, the debates, the \nhoardings, the pamphlets, the kilometers of travel, the door knocking is\n all for us. They may ignore us for the rest of the 3 years, but now is\n our time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Remember! We each have one vote, so use it and use it wisely.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
\u201cDemocracy is the worst form of government,\u2026 except for all those other forms that have been tried from time to time\u201d Fellow toastmasters and welcome guests This quote from Winston Churchill evinces our love\/hate relationship with voting and government. There are many forms of governance with various levels of participation from Anarchy to Dictatorship. Our … <\/p>\n