Category: 2014 – New Zealand Elections

Campaign Strategy?

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There is a reason why I don’t like the term Non Partisan

 

Mainly because when it is used in the USA it will usually refer to some Neo Conservative Think tank with strong ties one way or the other to the Republican Party.

Well it seems (after someone forgot to make a shared Google Document private rather than open for the World to see) we could have an issue with the Non Partisan term here in New Zealand as we draw close to the 20th September national elections.

I stumbled across this early this which comes from the Rock Enrol campaign team:

 

The Rock Enrol campaign is designed to get the youth vote maximised as it is stubbornly low in New Zealand.

 

I do not have issues with third parties getting out there advocating and giving people a nudge in doing their civic duties. I do it in a round about way with the blog on Auckland issues.

What I do take issue to is when the Non Partisan term is used but could be very clouded owing to where support or resources are coming from. Put it this way to be non-partisan to the point actually being Bi-Partisan (which the Americans are good at) Rock Enrol should have asked for help from (and as an example) the Employers and Manufacturers Association. At the end of the day the EMA represents business that hire youth and are no doubt keen to offer their insight as well as a low voter turn out is not that great for business (let alone Unions and so on).

As for my own political affiliations? I have had it always in the open and it is on my LinkedIn profile. Yes since 2003 I have been member of the National Party.

 

I will leave the rest to your interpretations.

 

20th September we go to the Polls

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Prime Minister has called a 20th September election

 

As you no doubt are aware or will be aware after this post the Prime Minister has called for the central elections on Saturday September 20th, 2014. The House will rise on July 31 and Parliament to be dissolved on August 14. The formal campaign period should kick off after that.

For our international readers the election will be contested between a Centre Right Liberal/Conservative Government seeking a third term with a centre-left social conservative opposition wanting to tip the Government out and take the Treasury benches for the first time since 2008 – the Clark regime.

And so from now until September 20th we will be spammed with electioneering although we have been since the beginning of the year.

Talking Auckland will look in brief at election issues that do have consequences on this City and what it will mean for us over the next three years.