2017 New Zealand General Election Thread

[Major-Tom]

Atm I'm centre-right economically, socially when it comes to individual choices more liberal, and when it comes to domestic/national issues like defence, crime, immigration etc, a bit more conservative.

Sounds very similar to what happened to this guy Liberty and Linguistics that used to hang around here.

Huh, wonder what happened to that guy. He sounds cool. Maybe he changed in the end though.

[Atlanticatia]

So the Greens are standing aside in Ohariu to make it easier to boot out Peter Dunne after his 3 decades in Parliament with the pointless party that is United Future.

Labour have a candidate that could be appealing in that electorate, former Police Association president, so I think there's a good chance Peter Dunne could be gone for good.

This would make it easier to form a left-leaning Government. Taking the swing parties out of the equation that could provide support to a National govt is best for Labour and the Greens. (But at this point, is UF even a swing party anymore? It just seems like an arm of the National party to me now.)

[Costa Fierro]

It would be slightly easier if we're making the assumption Peter Dunne doesn't win his seat. If that didn't happen, the Labour-Greens coalition would still fall short of a majority needed to govern.

[Atlanticatia]

It would be slightly easier if we're making the assumption Peter Dunne doesn't win his seat. If that didn't happen, the Labour-Greens coalition would still fall short of a majority needed to govern.

Dealing with Winston Peters is easier than dealing with Winston Peters and Peter Dunne.

[Bhikkustan]

Maori Party might leave the National Coalition with that Childcare thing

[Costa Fierro]

It would be slightly easier if we're making the assumption Peter Dunne doesn't win his seat. If that didn't happen, the Labour-Greens coalition would still fall short of a majority needed to govern.

Dealing with Winston Peters is easier than dealing with Winston Peters and Peter Dunne.

It's interesting though because according to recent polls, National would only have half of a percentage over a Labour-Greens coalition with New Zealand First support but both sides would still have 58 seats. Peter Dunne in this instance would not matter much in the grand scheme of things because even if he was forced out of his seat, and three decades of successful reelections would suggest that he won't be out of Parliament until he retires from politics altogether, it's not a guaranteed Labour victory in that electorate. The fact remains that current polls show neither side with the majority needed to be able to confidently govern.

However, it's still early days.

[Costa Fierro]

Maori Party might leave the National Coalition with that Childcare thing

I don't think they would, unless they want to kiss goodbye any chances they have of passing future legislation with the government.

[Forsher]

Maori Party might leave the National Coalition with that Childcare thing

It's a tricky problem.

On one hand cultural loss is a big thing.

On the other hand, I don't think there is any particular reason to believe framing it as a Maori issue is helpful and therefore the solution needs to be Maorified (although, I believe, that's methodological rather than operational, i.e. a state organisation rather than an Iwi one).

And the nasty voice inside your head is telling you that maybe cultural loss doesn't matter so much if your retained sense of identity goes along with not really being removed from "the people" at "fault" (i.e. your family).

But because it is tricky, I don't think the Maori Party will leave (especially as they've made overtures towards gaining votes outside the Maori seats and this is the sort of stand they'd lose such votes over).

[Atlanticatia]

Mt Albert by-election debate: http://thespinoff.co.nz/politics/16-02- ... es-debate/

Very nice debate. I wish politics was always like this - no right wing/conservative parties. No NZF, no National, no ACT. It's so much better.

[Costa Fierro]

Very nice debate. I wish politics was always like this - no right wing/conservative parties. No NZF, no National, no ACT. It's so much better.

You do realize how ridiculous that sounds, right?

[USHALLNOTPASS]

We Australians will always be there to support you.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iv8bkYKbMo0

[Atlanticatia]

Very nice debate. I wish politics was always like this - no right wing/conservative parties. No NZF, no National, no ACT. It's so much better.

You do realize how ridiculous that sounds, right?

Nah.

[The Liberated Territories]

"The world would be a whole lot better if people I didn't have to listen to people with different opinions than I!"

[Washington Resistance Army]

Very nice debate. I wish politics was always like this - no right wing/conservative left wing parties. No NZF, no National, no ACT Labour, no Greens. It's so much better.

ftfy

[Forsher]

To be fair to Atlanti, it's not like the major parties have spent the last decade or whatever sticking up for the vitality of political exchange and encouraging electoral debates with all parliamentary (or even government) parties rather than just themselves.

The point is: t's a problem that's widespread (although, as yet, I don't believe anyone other than Atlanti is promoting uniwing debates).

[Republic of Tacos]

Didn't know what to think of this since I'm an American, but after reading up on it, I'll support the Labour and Māori Parties.

[Chameliya]

I'm a Brit so pardon me for intruding but after completing the New Zealand isidewith.com I came out most alligned with the Greens (I'm a Liberal Democrat in the UK).

[Shrillland]

I'm a Brit so pardon me for intruding but after completing the New Zealand isidewith.com I came out most alligned with the Greens (I'm a Liberal Democrat in the UK).

It's OK, it's not past the gravedig threshold, it'll be fairly quiet until summer though.

I was basically tied between the Greens and Labour myself.

[MERIZoC]

Very nice debate. I wish politics was always like this - no right wing/conservative left wing parties. No NZF, no National, no ACT Labour, no Greens. It's so much better.

ftfy

This is high level humor

[Costa Fierro]

I'm a Brit so pardon me for intruding but after completing the New Zealand isidewith.com I came out most alligned with the Greens (I'm a Liberal Democrat in the UK).

I'd hazard a guess that the Greens in New Zealand are somewhat more "mature" than the Greens in the United Kingdom. I'm considering voting for them myself even if they have tied themselves to Labour.

If people want to do the quiz, they can have a go here.

[Collatis]

I'm a Brit so pardon me for intruding but after completing the New Zealand isidewith.com I came out most alligned with the Greens (I'm a Liberal Democrat in the UK).

I'd hazard a guess that the Greens in New Zealand are somewhat more "mature" than the Greens in the United Kingdom. I'm considering voting for them myself even if they have tied themselves to Labour.

If people want to do the quiz, they can have a go here.

I got 70% Green, 69% Labour, and 49% National.

[SUNTHREIT]

Why don't you guys just get annexed by Australia? You aren't even relevant, no matter who wins your election nothing outside of NZ will change.

[Bakery Hill]

Why don't you guys just get annexed by Australia? You aren't even relevant, no matter who wins your election nothing outside of NZ will change.

wtf is that flag hahaha

[Major-Tom]

You do realize how ridiculous that sounds, right?

Nah.

sounds borderline authoritarian.

[Collatis]

Nah.

sounds borderline authoritarian.

saying you wish things were more like X=/=wanting to force things to be more like X

I wish people would stop putting pineapple on pizza, but I sure as hell don't want to ban it.