This week, The Wireless has looked at voting in this year’s general election. We’ll be continuing this coverage over the next few months, with events, issues and even more data.
We asked Wellingtonians if they’re planning to vote.
Are you voting? from THE WIRELESS NZ on Vimeo.
Megan Whelan wrote about the decline in turnout, why people do and don’t vote, and efforts to get young people to the polls in September.
Matt Hartnett asked if a three-yearly election cycle is the only system, and why we’re not speaking using technology to make decision-making better.
Again, I’m not advocating an overwhelmingly awful option like disbanding parliament in favour of Facebook groups (though the idea of constructing the budget in a Google Docs spreadsheet with three million of my closest friends does appeal). It just seems perverse we should accelerate our markets to light speed without extending that same courtesy to our infinitely more important political system.
And comedian James Nokise talked about creating a show around wanting to get his younger siblins interested in the election.
“A Nation that does not understand its own laws may as well be a lawless Nation.” George Tanner, the former New Zealand Chief Parliamentary Council, said that. Under his term, New Zealand legal language became easier to understand for people without law degrees. I still think that's more Gangsta than anything the Mongrel Mob has done.
Cover photo: flickr user Yortw
