Former MP condemns electoral law proposals
From 1990 until 1999 I was a member of Parliament's electoral law select committee.
During those nine years a wide range of changes and reforms to electoral law were proposed. At no time did anyone propose changes remotely as retrograde as those that the current government is progressing. Had they done, they would have been opposed by all political parties, left wing or right wing.
Western democracies usually seek to make voting as easy as possible, or alternatively compulsory, to ensure governments are elected validly and have the moral authority to govern.
This government's changes are voter suppression, pure and simple. Those affected are likely to be a mix of young, poor, brown and transient.
Furthermore, with one exception, all elections since MMP began in 1996 have been surprisingly close. The 110,000 people who may now be disenfranchised are enough to affect the result, and therefore the will of the nation.
We should all be deeply concerned.
A wrong move
I am alarmed to see the coalition government following the American example of making voter enrolment more inconvenient.
Justice officials say closing enrolments ahead of advance voting could result in lower turnout and reduce confidence in the electoral system. Those voters who are either working long hours or irregular hours will be most affected by the cancelling of same-day election enrolment.
In America over the last 20 years the conservative Republican Party in various states has consistently made it more difficult for working people and minorities to vote. The need to prove your permanent address has been used to disqualify minority voters as America has moved toward becoming a more authoritarian society.
Cancelling same-day enrolment is a move in the wrong direction. Trumpism is not a good look in our electoral system. Our electoral system is too important for democracy to be changed casually.
Any changes to the electoral systems, even minor ones, should be agreed across parties. Just winning an election should not give political parties the right to alter the electoral system.
A great risk
I write in profound concern upon realising the extent of voter restrictions this government is considering.
Total disenfranchisement for prisoners was sadistic in my opinion, certainly not aiding return to normal life, but to read of universal restrictions for enrolment beggars belief.
Or, rather, it confirms that the really needy of New Zealand are also of the same great risk, even should they understand that asking for special votes is possible, though these will be well scrutinised.
In particular, the proposed "ability to check enrolment details with data from other government agencies" surely jeopardises privacy, while "greater use of digital communication" has obvious drawbacks, to those without required means (probably mostly elderly) or are not familiar or comfortable with voting process, until now having face-to-face communication with poll clerk or returning officer.
Universal emancipation is a vital necessity of an enlightened society, a fact of which this government seems unwilling to ensure.
Heavy machinery and losing your car park
How would anyone like to have large machinery working about 4m from where he/she was studying for examinations or resting? That happened when the Dunedin City Council worked underground on the Albany St pipes.
Now a few DCC personnel have decided to rob about 60 much needed Albany St car parks from right outside the numerous student flats and businesses. This cycle lane is being forced on to those who don’t want it. How many cyclists will use it? Cyclists appear to ride anywhere at all, and few appear to keep to the cycle lanes.
I have spoken to several present tenants who are surprised and angry to hear their parks will be taken. Where will students’ families or shuttle buses park when they need to move students in and out of their student flats? Where will the students, who own cars, park their cars? Most flats and hostels do not provide sufficient parks for all cars and some have no parking areas at all.
These people have agreed to waste local money ruining Albany St businesses and living areas. How would each feel if their livelihoods (or streets in which they live) were to be treated in this offhand way?
The RMA is there to allay mine concerns
The development of the Santana gold mine in the Bendigo area, the site of significant gold mining over 100 years ago, has generated a lot of media coverage, most of which appears to be opposed.
Our current principle planning document clearly allows consenting authorities to provide consents for the activities with conditions which should allay the concerns of opposition groups and individuals. These conditions could require the applicant to avoid, remedy or mitigate real or perceived adverse effects on a whole host of values.
These could include amenity, visual, natural beauty, landscape, protection of flora and fauna etc.
The applicant has the choice of accepting such conditions, appealing them, or choosing not to proceed.
This process has the significant advantage of providing environmental and amenity value protection and allowing the activity to proceed . This is entirely consistent with the purpose of this current principle planning document (the Resource Management Act).
Manic Monday
I guess Monday is a day to stir the pot and get people to react with hopefully more good letters to the editor. Two letters got me thinking, so here goes.
Lynne Newell (28.7.25): discussing a world event may not be top of the list of council duties but I think it’s relevant. Councillors are our chosen representatives just as parliamentarians are. No-one lives in a bubble.
Tony Vink (28.7.25): you are looking through rose-tinted glasses when it comes to Israel. They remind me of the wolf dressed in sheep skin.
Address Letters to the Editor to: Otago Daily Times, PO Box 517, 52-56 Lower Stuart St, Dunedin. Email: editor@odt.co.nz
