Well, the news is sure hotting up. Scottish independence vote draws near – on Thursday – and we should hear the outcome Friday night New Zealand time. Then it’s our election Saturday. I’ve already voted Labour in a polling booth at our wonderful new library and I’m keeping up my fitness delivering Labour Party pamphlets, but that doesn’t meaning I don’t keep assessing things.
The Guardian had a fascinating editorial which I put on my Facebook page. It was supporting the no Indy vote which was disappointing. However, it said that the Indy campaign had led to a much better level of political discussion than any election campaign, with a focus on how Scotland wants to be and how much they don’t like UK politics, ie mainly English politics inflicted on them. That most political campaigns are now sloganeering rather than stimulating good discussion.
The Guardian also said that most Western countries have to deal with widening inequalities, certainly the case in NZ. I went to a local meet the candidates event with a focus on inequality. I find Labour frustrating because for all the issues they will come out with what feels like an election bribe, or just one policy promise, eg capital gains tax, up the minimum wage. All well and good, but not fundamental, and often the Nats match them with a policy along the same lines, usually not such a good one, of course.
So that’s why Laila Harre and Internet Mana have been so exciting (don’t know why the Greens fail to excite, perhaps I’m just not an enthusiastic greenie type.) they tackle the big issues, their policies are not just little fix-it ones. I followed the privacy Moment of Truth expo live from the Town Hall last night. I wouldn’t have said that this was an issue I was all that interested in but now I am. I can just see the Key govt wading slackly into corruption. Greenwald said John Key,s a trader, he always has bargaining chips. Yes, not principles. So he’ll sell out to the US not for personal gain, not that kind of corruption, but as a trade. But I have the horrible feeling that some of this stuff got past Helen Clark too.
So what I want to see is Kiwi debate like the Scottish Indy. We are indy but trading it away carelessly. Anyway, I hope Five Eyes enjoys this blog, probably my only reader. And roll on anew Scotland and a new Kiwi govt…and if it doesn’t happen, at least the level of debate has gone up a notch.
Island Time of Life 