Sound Policies Will Influence Voters’ Tick My Say
With 14 days left to campaign, political parties are going for the swing and undecided voters.
Many of these voters will be voting for the first time.
They include those in the final year at secondary school, attending tertiary institutions, looking for jobs or starting work.
Because of the fluidity of the situation on the ground it is difficult to work out the exact number in this group.
The figure will change as the countdown to the election continues.
However, it could be between five to as high as 15 per cent.
These voters will make a difference in the November 14 General Election.
At least 85 per cent of the voters are likely to have a fair idea of who they will vote for at this stage.
The next two weeks would be crucial. There are voters who could still change given the diversity of views on various issues.
Candidates who clearly articulate these issues without withholding vital information could win these voters.
There are questions still out there that need to be clarified. Some of them are:
■ Some parties are advocating removing VAT (Value Added Tax) from basic food items. What are the food items?
They must be listed and spelt out. Because VAT is obviously an important part of Government revenue, where will the money come from to offset the loss in revenue?
■ Education is high on the priority list for voters. Some are advocating removing TELS and making tertiary education free. Whether we do it in stages or all at once, how will we fund it?
Proper research must be done to ascertain whether it is financially feasible and sustainable in the long run.
The New
Zealand experience in this area needs to be studied.
It once abolished free university tuition because the ballooning debt was not sustainable.
Now, NZ Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has bravely re-introduced it but in phases.
It has started by giving first year students tuition free.
Kiwis are watching and asking “how long can she sustain it.”
The question here at home is that: “Do we have the capacity to absorb the extra cost.” It would likely require cuts in other Government spending to pay for it.
■ The minimum wage rate is one of the contentious issues. Voters must hear both sides of the political argument.
Every worker wants a pay rise but it must be based on whether it is affordable.
It has been explained by business groups and employers that the $5 an hour, $4 an hour, $10 an hour, proposed by the National Federation Party, SODELPA and HOPE respectively are unreasonable and unrealistic. It would lead to job losses, they say.
It could also lead to a hike in the inflation rate.
The bottom line for voters is sound policies that will bring peace, stability and progress. Policies that meet this requirement will get their tick.
The next two weeks would be crucial. There are voters who could still change given the diversity of views on various issues.