- Luke Adams I guess living in little NZ we believed we were immune to this type of corruption. This is no different to the what is seen in the US, although on a smaller scale.
Is there more to come out? Is Labour & the Greens involved too? If so, what laws were influenced at the expensive of the tax payer?
It’s hard to keep faith in the democratic system when the rich & powerful can have such influence. Potentially pessimistic sure, but clearly a somewhat realistic point of view.
I’m sure you can understand this perspective Chlöe Swarbrick - Chlöe Swarbrick Kia ora, Luke! Unfortunately no system that requires maintenance by human beings is ever going to be 'immune' to corruption per se. The really important thing to note about democracy in Aotearoa New Zealand is that it's still fundamentally equitable enough that people like myself who would never be in Parliament in other countries ("young," high school dropout, tattoos, etc) can be elected. We haven't taken our eye off the ball so long that we've ended up with systems as seemingly removed from the will and influence of the everyday person as the likes of the US and its electoral influence of corporations and gerrymandering.
We can prevent against any slide towards more problematic, disconnected and potentially corrupt 'ruling class' by continuing active involvement in politics as citizens. In fact, we can actually actively improve our democracy through electing more people who aren't 'professional politicians.' That's the point of a House of Representatives.
If we decide to give up, we don't just let bad behaviour fester. We give up our power to change things, and we hand over power to entrench and reinforce systematic inequity.
Bad guys win when good guys give up the one thing that makes us all equal: your vote at the ballot box is as powerful as any billionaire's. And all us regular folks outnumber the wealthy and powerful who win when we give up. - Margaret Swift Chlöe Swarbrick We be the many - They be the few
- Royce Timms Margaret Swift still hasn't stopped the neoliberal trainwreck tho has it?
- Luke Adams Chlöe Swarbrick phenomenal response, thank you for your time.
Parliament
belongs to you. We accept the politics we think we deserve. With two
out of five Parliamentary political parties now implicated in Serious
Fraud Office investigations, I get some people wanting to wash their
hands and sigh that all politics is the same.
But when you give up on democratic improvement, you give licence to those with all the power and wealth to continue behaving in exactly the way you dislike.
Our Parliament is formed by the votes (and the absence of votes) of New Zealanders. If you're unhappy with politics, the easiest way to change it is to vote. The best way to change it is to actively engage and campaign for progress.
But when you give up on democratic improvement, you give licence to those with all the power and wealth to continue behaving in exactly the way you dislike.
Our Parliament is formed by the votes (and the absence of votes) of New Zealanders. If you're unhappy with politics, the easiest way to change it is to vote. The best way to change it is to actively engage and campaign for progress.
Don't accept the status quo - don't give it permission. The Greens
believe we can do better. And we have a plan that removes political bias
and self preservation from the equation: https://www.greens.org.nz/green_party_call_for_national_dis…
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