NZ POLITICS DAILY: Absent without leave

RIGHT: A commission-only rep for the Electoral Commission at NBR Towers, attempting to sign-up Technology Editor Chris Keall - who may or may not be under 30.

As we come up to each general election there’s always an explosion of angst expressed about political apathy, and in particular about citizens choosing not to register and/or turnout to vote. It’s usually academics, government departments, bloggers and politicians declaring the dangers of not participating in politics, about a so-called duty to vote, and so forth.

It’s all rather condescending, especially when they aim their lectures at youth.

The latest panic concerns the fact that apparently 200,000 eligible voters under the age of 30 have not enrolled – see, for example, 200,000 young reluctant to vote, Voting important for youth – EEC, and Enrol to vote. There’s no doubt that all this angst is based on a real issue of declining public participation in parliamentary politics. It’s true that in general fewer and fewer New Zealanders are inclined to vote. At the 2008 general election, voter turnout (as a proportion of eligible voters) was down to about 75% – the second lowest level for a century.

And there’s a very good chance that this year’s turnout will be even lower – especially if the basic election outcome looks to be a foregone conclusion, and the political parties fail to inspire the public. And that’s really the crux of the issue – whether parliamentary electoral politics is actually healthy and inspiring enough to motivate people to participate. And are the political parties really offering enough ideological diversity to voters? Are the differences between the supposed variety of parties really that meaningful?

There’s good reason to think not, and so it should be no surprise that many citizens – and youth in particular – will be feeling alienated, marginalised and bored by what passes for democratic politics at election time in New Zealand. I put this argument forward today on RNZ Morning Report – listen here: Young people demonstrate reluctance to vote. At the moment, it strikes me that declining voter participation is constantly blamed on the people that are marginalised by politics rather than by those that are failing to inspire participation.

And when people don’t vote, it’s often for a variety of reasons other than just "apathy," This week the band R.E.M. finally split up after 31 years, and in one of their greatest songs, What’s the Frequency, Kenneth? Michael Stipe sings the very insightful lyric: "To turn away in disgust is not the same as apathy."

Part of the problem, of course, is the very trivial issues that some politicians are focused on – see today’s column by Chris Trotter: Of Mad Dog and English men.

Nonetheless, the election campaign will deal with all sorts of important issues (to some degree), and even if the differences between parties is somewhat magnified by partisan hyperbole and marketing, there’s the very important referendum on the electoral system – a topic that has sadly received only a fraction of the analysis of the wider election campaign.

Partly this is because the different electoral options appear so difficult to decipher. Fortunately, legal expert Graeme Edgeler has developed a very impressive Referendum Tool to help you decide how to vote. Edgeler explains it here: Now it’s up to you.

In understanding the ongoing Act Party saga, it’s worth reading some of the newspaper editorials today, which by and large have an excellent analysis – see: NZ Herald: Brash's dope idea misguided and desperate, Dominion Post: Act is not a team, it's a one-man band, Otago Daily Times: Act II: a 'brand' new party?, Nelson Mail: The dope on Don, Timaru Herald: Instincts not the sharpest, and Manawatu Standard: Pot shots earned as Brash makes a hash.

Beyond this, it’s also worth reading Eric Crampton’s blog post entitled Shambolic. Crampton is sympathetic towards Act, and is also a long-time proponent that the party pushes drug legalisation, but he says that the party is probably now dead.

Other especially interesting items today include Gareth Morgan and Susan Guthrie’s UK riots wake-up call for New Zealand, John Hartevelt’s Big shocks yet to be felt, and perhaps April Ieremia’s Sporting the world's colours.

Bryce Edwards, NZPD Editor (bryce.edwards@otago.ac.nz)

Today’s content:

Act Party

Herald Editorial: Brash's dope idea misguided and desperate

Dom Post Editorial: Act is not a team, it's a one-man band

ODT Editorial: Act II: a 'brand' new party?

Nelson Mail Editorial: The dope on Don

Timaru Herald Editorial: Instincts not the sharpest

Warwick Rasmussen (Manawatu Standard): Editorial: Pot shots earned as Brash makes a hash

Eric Crampton (Offsetting Behaviour): Shambolic

Tracy Watkins (Dom Post): Brash may have sounded death knell

David Farrar (Kiwiblog): Getting the basics right