who to vote for in upcoming election??????

[SirLSD]

who are u voting for and why?

what parties are more leniant on recreational drug usage?

[Guest FatherPaul]

I am voting for dave campbell.

he is honest and trustworthy

[spiraleyes]

why vote?

its not like a few votes will ever make a difference!

[A480]

"Why vote?"

OK, I'm not on your shores...but I'd like to point out that, on the eve of the last election here, the Greens only hope of getting into parliament was considered to be the electorate vote -- which they lost. It was announced on the night of the election that the Greens would not be a part of the up-coming parliament.

A couple days later, upon counting the special votes, this was ammended -- the Greens had made the five percent threshold...all because dodgy punks like ourselves made the effort to support them. They are now the third largest party in the country, out-stripping the very same party they had the good sense to defect from -- Alliance (whom currently are a part of our coalition government, with Labour). The Greens now stand an excellent chance of forming part of the next NZ govt., along with their policy of reefer decriminalisation (amongst many other strangely rational views)...

So fuckin vote, already

[maddogmorgan]

vote for ummmm democrats means that we dont get fucked by labor and liberal has to make at least some justified decesions

[NordicRituals]

I haven't enrolled. Maybe I never will. Hopefully they won't catch me.

[Guest wira]

I've said it before and I'll say it again, vote Green

The notion of votes for minor parties being wasted votes is a load of bs cooked up by people who support the major parties. If you want anything to get better, then NOT voting is pretty much the same thing as voting for the Liberals, or failing that, Labour, both being pretty crappy options.

[Torsten]

I'd vote for the issues that concern me. Labor, greens and democrats all have mediocre socialist economic policies, support gay rights reform, and stand against privatisation.

The greens have the best drug reform policies followed closely by the democrats. The greens also win hands down on environmental policies.

Beazly is one of the corrupt oldskool labor guys and is the main reason why I would not support labor (I could never support someone who was minister of defence). I also don't like parties that enforce party line. Democrats and greens have conscience votes (ie the member you vote for can actually vote in parliament according to the policies he promised in his electorate rather than what the leadership tells him to vote).

Personally I would vote green. Those who feel green is too far left should consider the democrats, especially if you're young and dynamic in politics.

My prediction for the election...... Howard will win. After the first year he will make way for Costello. Of any liberals, he is the one I prefer. At least he would have promoted a republic. Labor really has no leader, and unless they can pull one out of the hat in 4 years, we might have liberal for a lot longer.

I think voting is important. There are so many seats that are decided on VERY small margins and if you get an asshole in your seat just because 500 people thought the same lazy way you did, then that's what you deserve. But don't complain. Just imagine if that was the deciding seat for the PM though.

There are plenty of independents and interesting politicians with good agendas - don't make it a choice between a fat pig and the same old monkey.

[gomaos]

I also think that the only trustworthy person in Parliament I KNOW OF is Bob Brown, Leader of the Greens, and consequently I'll vote green.

I hold a grudge against the democrats because they supported Howard's GST and were the reason that he wcould get it through, so I can't really recommend them.

I'll put Labor 2nd because they are still better than the Liberals whatever anybody may say.

[Guest Saph]

I dont belive in voting.

Why should I there are enough people that do.

And I dont agree with the bull shit that goes along with it.

[This message has been edited by Saph (edited 08 October 2001).]

[Guest Trichus]

I think Peter Costello makes Little Johnny look like Ghandi- he makes my skin crawl. At least Howard usually believes in the crap he goes on with. For instance, the ban on cloning (it was actually only a ban on _federal_ funding of the practice- just more PR work). I think Costello would sell our arse to the yanks for a third of the price.

I think the democrats are just a slightly better marketed labour (camoflauged liberals). There was the GST and it is worth mentioning that they helped to get the big brotherish "echelon" passed with overwhelming majority thus avoiding a senate inquiry). The supposedly "cutting edge" democrats seem to believe in propping up a failing economy versus addressing the root ideals that force us to live off America's toe jam. I think the deceitfulness of the yuppie scum democrats combined with their incompetence gives them the potential to be more destructive than the two major parties (that they supposedly keep honest).

If you want a party that at least _tries_ to maintain your best interests, the only options are Greens, the Shooters Party and possibly One Nation, depending on your outlook. I will vote for the Greens, and I don't particularly want Pauline running the show, but let it be known that in the collective sense, liberal, labour and the democrats _do not_ give a shit about you.

FWIW, I emailed Bob Brown regarding his stance on an issue (gambling and its politics) and within a week he severely amended his policy. The Greens support a personal "bill of rights", support decriminalisation of all personal drug use, and seem to be rather cannabis friendly. I think its a pretty safe bet that they won't go building half baked nuclear reactors everywhere and privatise your water supply.

[Guest reville]

go green.

and if theres a place where they need support

to swing the public and you actually believe in the process of democracy then get out there and make it public that the minor parties are only minor because people refuse to grasp the concept that the 'wasted vote' mentality is a myth created by the major parties.

For example.. In the last state election i volunteered for the wilderness societies

'vote for the forests' campaign where they handed out how to vote slips based on an evaluation of each parties forest politics.

they targeted certain seats and id like to think that even if the major parties won they did so by an ever decreasing margin.

I got into a heated discussion about preferential voting - obviously they were against it.

by putting your prefferred party first you better reflect the will of the population and give bargaining power to your candidate whether they win or not

BTW i put one nation about 3rd Why? because though i do not support them and their ideals i do support their existence because whether i /we like it or not there are people out there who feel that way and have the democratic right to do so, a right which the media has unfairly threatened by singling her out for discreditation - yeha like any of the others are any better - they are just more sophisticated.

One nation is an indicator of vitality on the australian political scene. It is a sign of a healthy democracy that someone so desperatrley in need of instruction in politics and public speaking can still represent her supporters.

please vote - apathy never changed anything

[gomaos]

I know that some peole here will not like this but I don't care I have a right to feel this way:

To me One Nation equals Hitler's Nationalist party Gestapo and all this shit.

They are Racist, Conservative, Ultra-Right Winged and would have all us drug users in concentration camps. Anyone supporting them must be suicidal and psychopathic, in my opinion this party should not be legal.

By the same token I want to also repeat what I stated before in another post, even if it has nothing to do with elections:

I would not mind if Islam would disappear off the face of the earth. This religion is basically the same what One Nation and Hitler stand for: Intolerance of any freedom-loving individual, again RACISM (Equalling Unbelievers in Islam), right-wingedness, hatred of alcohol and drug users etc, in total :UTTERLY OPPRESSIVE.

In the 70s/80s I travelled through turkey, iran, afghanistan, pakistan and further.

The people there were basically "normal" people like people everywhere in the world. They only had one giant problem in common: The Iron Fist of Islam.

And I think it was Rev who said, be patient with them, we were like that 100 years ago. Exactly. I would not speak any better about australian, european or american culture of the last century, or even 50 years ago.

It was all like in the filmclip that's just running on my TV: THE LUNATICS HAVE TAKEN OVER THE ASYLUM (Cold Cut).

If I was Superman, the first thing I would do would be getting rid of 90 per cent of Earth's Governments and Religions, because they are the one's who are causing pain and trouble for all of us.

NO TOLERANCE FOR INTOLERANT PEOPLE.

[NordicRituals]

gomaos, as stan zemanek would say "that's your opinion and you're welcome to it"

in my more impressionable days, i supported One Nation... yes, i'll admit it. It wasn't a matter of being racist because i thought about what hanson was saying; to me it wasn't about kicking out asians but it was about "EQUAL RIGHTS, NOT SPECIAL TREATMENT". i don't agree with One Nation anymore, but i think that when we start banning parties, we become totalitarian. old joe would be proud.

and to this ongoing religious debate about the evil of islam. i see christianity as being no better. any belief pushed to extremes will result in oppression and intolerance. if i had my way, i'd remove all religions except ones on a case to case basis. as soon as you start believing in anything but yourself, that's where the trouble starts...

but then again, we get back to the fact that we'd be thrusting our beliefs upon other people, the same thing that you undoubtedly despise in islam.

[gomaos]

Yes, I should have made that more clear in my post: I agree, I don't see Christianity as any better than islam.

It's just that in our "modern" society religion is more under the control of politics and therefore can't do as much damage as it can in many islamic countries...

[Darklight]

Originally posted by NordicRituals:

I haven't enrolled. Maybe I never will. Hopefully they won't catch me.

If you don't vote, then don't whinge about the result I reckon.

The system we live under isn't perfect,ad there are other ways to work for the changes you want which may be more appropriate. But voting is also a voice, a single step in the right direction.

It only takes about an hour, including commuting, for most ppl. I don't know why so many ppl refuse to vote, but complain about the govt and simultaneously pursue change in ways that are equally long term and possibly less effective. Each to their own of course. It just stumps me...

[Darklight]

Originally posted by gomaos:

It's just that in our "modern" society religion is more under the control of politics and therefore can't do as much damage as it can in many islamic countries...

Er...did anyone see the Foreign Correspondent prog on ABC last week about Uzbekistan and neighbouring Afghani countries? Secular govts have made a point of oppressing Islamic teachings to the point where clerics who don't tow the party line in preaching are liable to disappear...

And claims of Moslem women weaaring traditional headscarfs in secularly governed Turkey are under real pressure also...something about them losing places at Uni? Can't remember really...anyone confirm?

To be a real arsehole, you only need a doctrine, and a certain inflexible approach as to what nameless and unknown ppl other than yourself are doing which bothers you. It ain't rocket science kids, and you can obtain instructions for such behaviours in many places online. Or even in real life.

[NordicRituals]

darklight, give me a party that stands for what i believe in and i'll vote for them. i know it's wrong but sometimes i feel there isn't a cause out there worthy of fighting for. maybe i'm just a disillusioned young man, but i'm fed up atm.

why i haven't enrolled has nothing to do with laziness. it has to do with exercising a right. i know it'd suck if we had low turnout like in the states, but i still think i shouldn't be obliged to vote if i chose not to. i lose something, yes i agree, but i gain something as well.

[Gwydion]

"i still think i shouldn't be obliged to vote if i chose not to. i lose something, yes i agree, but i gain something as well."

I agree. Surely part of the democratic process ought to be the right NOT to vote? However, given the probable alternative (low turn-out, unrepresentative governments, etc), there is a certain responsibility that falls upon the shoulders of those who care about the future of their society.

The situation is made worse by a system which is (un)fairly unrepresentative. There are then three options.

1. not care

2. change it from within (the slow, difficult approach)

3. change it rapidly (the revolutionary approach- it seldom really works)

Which path you take is up to you. I suspect that you'll never find a party which stands exactly for your principles.

Politics, in all of it's forms and levels, is based on compromise.

[Gwydion]

Oh, I suppose that I should also point out that I regard conscientious not-voting, as well as donkey-voting, as a form of change from within, rather than necessarily an expression of apathy.

[gomaos]

Originally posted by Darklight:

Secular govts have made a point of oppressing Islamic teachings to the point where clerics who don't tow the party line in preaching are liable to disappear...

These governments are just dictatorships and deserve to disappear...

And claims of Moslem women weaaring traditional headscarfs in secularly governed Turkey are under real pressure also...something about them losing places at Uni? Can't remember really...anyone confirm?

I don't want to be misunder stood. I'm not against anyone practicing their religion. I"m for total religious freedom. At home anybody should be allowed to celebrate whatever cult they find appealing, satanism included AS LONG AS NO-ONE GETS HURT!

I would outlaw male circumcision just as well as female one because it is just a (stupid and idiotic jewish)custom and hurts the child...if they want it they can have it done when they're 18...

The same with all other religious ceremonies where innocents get hur, even in the slightest, it should be illegal....

To be a real arsehole, you only need a doctrine, and a certain inflexible approach as to what nameless and unknown ppl other than yourself are doing which bothers you.

Agree 100 per cent

[psycho0]

i dont know much about politics but i think

i'll just vote greens

[Andrew]

This will be the first time I have voted,Its taken them 17 years to find me but they have.I,d actually decided to enroll anyway as I thought it was time.I,d always said I didnt like being forced to choose the best of a bad bunch but maybe the bunch wont get any better if people like me dont vote,oh well at least I can complain about the government now.

[Gwydion]

"outlaw male circumcision just as well as female one because it is just a (stupid and idiotic jewish)custom"

Actually, it is widespread in the middle-east, not just amongsst the Jews. Furthermore, there is SOME medical justification for male circumcision in such an area. The "custom" arose in order to prevent infection in an area where you don't often find water to wash your willy with.

[gomaos]

Originally posted by Gwydion:

Furthermore, there is SOME medical justification for male circumcision in such an area. The "custom" arose in order to prevent infection in an area where you don't often find water to wash your willy with.

Ok granted if people live under circumstances as bad as that, i. e. NO WATER, it appears to make SOME sense.

There have been cases that babies have lost their "Willy" because of this stupidity, and in many other cases it has caused deep-lying neuroses and phobias.

Also, I want to elaborate, that circumcised penises are likely to be ONE reason of premature ejaculation, thereby robbing the victim of this evil custom of their natural right to a healthy sexuality.

Apart from some areas in Bin Laden's Afghanistan, where even in 1977 they killed european women for swimming naked, and similar places where there may be no water, this crap is utterly unjustified and I would like to see it punishable by law here in Australia.