Election limbo
The election result is not ‘‘clear and unequivocal’’ (editorial, September 24).
About 54 per cent of New Zealanders did not vote for National. And that’s before the specials are counted.
As a polling place manager who did a huge number of advance special votes over the past two weeks, I’ll be surprised if the final percentage is not even lower for National.
I’m 54 and have mostly voted National (or ACT) my whole life – but not the past two elections. This time I tried to vote based on what’s best for the country, not me. The gap between rich and poor is alarming, not to mention all the other social issues.
To me National have been asleep at the wheel. Our myriad problems demonstrate that clearly; the latest example bring the aviation fuel fiasco. Where is the future planning? It’s all about bring reelected in three years’ time. Labour doesn’t have all the answers but really, what has National achieved in the past nine years?
Fiona McAllister, Mt Maunganui Damien Grant (‘‘We don’t believe in fairytales’’, September 24) must be under the influence of some mind-altering substance.
To quote – ‘‘We don’t have enough poor children or homeless for this to be something worth changing the government over’’. He should spend a day with the Sallies, or at least talk to them about how charities cannot keep up with in-work poverty and kids without shoes, coats or lunches.
‘‘National have proved themselves to be competent managers of the welfare state’’? Tell that to the patients turned away from the ‘‘no vacancies’’ hospitals, the families of suicide victims offered no mental health support or those living in cars.
Hopefully one day a government will again support the Kiwi battler, everyone for everyone, rather than selling the country to the highest bidder.
Jim Arrowsmith, Auckland As Ma¯ori Party president Tukoroirangi Morgan must acknowledge his profound failure. Election results show the complete disconnect the Ma¯ori King’s adviser has from his people at the grass roots. Nanaia Mahuta is right in calling for the advisers to the Ma¯ori Party and King Tuheitia to stand down.
Paul Evans-McLeod, Hamilton How many people, like me, would love to see National and Labour get together to form a Government and see the end of a very up-himself 72-year-old?
Jim Hibbs, Upper Hutt Columnist Alice Snedden (Escape, September 24) states that ‘‘prisoners in New Zealand are unable to vote.’’
This is not completely correct. Remand prisoners are not sentenced or may not have entered a plea(s) to their charges, but are nonetheless detained in prison. In order to vote they have to fulfil the necessary criteria such as being New Zealand citizens or permanent residents, and enrolled.
At Mt Eden Prison, which houses remand and sentenced prisoners, about 600 voted. The Auckland Women’s Prison allowed its remand prisoners to do the same.
It was the National Government in December 2010 that stripped away the last remaining sentencedprisoner voting rights.
Lady Heeni Phillips-Williams, president, Sir Peter Williams QC Penal Reform League