pn988. On the way election issues are presented to us by the mainstream media

I've been wondering how to write about the way election issues have been presented to us by the meanstream media, almost all of whom have condemned Labour's lifting of GST on fresh fruit and veges while uncritially accepted Hipkin's edict of no capital gains tax, and the National and ACT position on crime: punish the lower class brown offeenders while continuing to be soft on white-collar tax evasions.  

 But then along comes the modern-day Sir Galahad, "Werewolf" Gordon Campbell with this excellent article that gets to the roots of the issues raised (click here). 

When you've read the article ask yourself why he is the only journalist, of the dozen or so in the print media, TV and the radio, who's dealt with these issues in this way; how close —or distant—his views are to your views, and what sort of election outcome you'd expect  given this media line up. 

You could also ask what sort of democracy we really are when information and  analysis is dominated by the sort of media commentary we now have.

-- ACW    

pn603. NZ: Just how diverse is our parliament and how does it compare internationally?

As two older, White, male candidates fought for supremacy in the United States election, New Zealand was offering its electorate a more progressive choice: two White women.

But in New Zealand, that was just the start.

When Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern was reelected in a landslide last month, she brought with her a diverse cast of politicians that make up what is -- by some measures -- the most inclusive parliament in the world.

Click here to read more.

 

pn597. Meet each of the new Maori MPs

Kelvin Davis recently said he hoped one day the number of Maori in Cabinet would not be news. "I'd like to think that just becomes normal - that people aren't surprised or amazed that we've got even Māori in ministerial positions, and that in future Governments it's just seen to be the norm." 

That said, here's an introduction to each of the new Maori MPs, written by Liam Ratana.

pn592. Maori Party applies for election recounts

Rawiri Waititi and Debbie Ngarewa-Packer

The Māori Party's application for recounts in two electorates is unusual. 

It has no dispute with the final results but wishes to use the recounts to examine issues faced by Maori voters at some polling booths which it considered disadvantaged some Maori voters. Some were forced to cast special votes while difficulties casting a vote meant some simply left before voting. The recount would also allow the party to analyse informal votes that did not count towards the results. 

The Party is  also critical of current election rules which only allow Māori to switch to the Māori roll every five years (elections are held every 3 years), and the 5% coat-tailing threshold to enter Parliament. They say this is unreachable for any indigenous party,  and needs to be halved for Māori seats.

pn586. Special votes results. Wins for Labour, Greens and the Maori Party

We have so much to be thankful for.  

As Aotearoa waited for the election special votes results there was no talk of violence in the streets or threatened endless litigation. Our citizens are more tolerant of opposition and more liberal than the citizens of the divided nation misnamed the United States of America. A womanising  egotistical, vain, ignorant and self-serving person would never be Prime Minister here.

So —feeling rather proud of ourselves— let us turn to the special votes announced this afternoon. 

National's agonies continue with its loss of two more seats, and Labour won three electorates that it lost on election night.