election
Voting booths on campus to encourage student voters
AUT students will be able to cast their vote on campus in the weeks leading up to the general election.
The AUT student association (AuSM) has teamed up with the Ministry of Justice’s Chief Electoral Office to arrange for temporary voting booths to be available in the three weeks prior to the election.
AuSM president Jan Herman says [...]
Ex-pat Kiwis urged to vote abroad
By Tom McRae
An organisation that runs a global network linking New Zealanders living overseas has set up a campaign to encourage them to vote.�
Kiwi Expat Association (Kea) launched the Every Vote Counts campaign on August 25.�
Kea’s New Zealand chief executive Ivan Moss said overseas-based New Zealanders had been vastly under-represented in past elections.
“Although at least [...]
Ethnic minority MPs given boost by party lists
Party lists have enhanced the diversity of Parliament in the face of prejudice against candidates from ethnic minorities, says New Zealand’s first Indian MP, Dr Ashraf Choudhary.
Choudhary, who was elected from the Labour list in 2002, says he believes in principle that candidates who are chosen for the party lists should be judged on the [...]
Sue Bradford: Committed to the cause of the Kiwi underdog
She’s had a tougher life than most and received a roasting from critics over her “anti-smacking” bill, but Sue Bradford is still smiling. Jamie Melbourne-Hayward asks the Green Party MP what makes her tick.�
In a dingy little room behind the Otahuhu community hall in South Auckland, MP Sue Bradford released the Green Party’s housing policy [...]
Nat’s accused of deal with Act Party
Labour’s candidate for Epsom, Kate Sutton, says the National Party is giving away the Epsom seat to Rodney Hide of the Act Party.�
“Has there been a deal with National? I think that’s something John Key needs to be asked,” says first-time candidate Sutton.
She says former seat holder and National Party candidate Richard Worth is “not [...]
Green Party outlines plans for sustainable housing
By Sophie Schroder
The Green Party has launched a housing policy that focuses on sustainability and increased funding for state housing.
The party says $160 billion of New Zealand’s $180 billion foreign debt is housing-related.
On Monday, Green Party MP Sue Bradford released the policy in Otahuhu.
Housing New Zealand’s waiting list stands at 10,000, and doesn’t take into [...]
Environment matters stirred in lead up to election
More debate around the Waitakere Ranges Heritage Act, will take place when West Auckland MPs and candidates discuss their stance on environmental issues at a public meeting this Friday.
Green Party candidate for New Lynn, Kath Dewar, is actively involved with the Waitakere Ranges Protection Society, and campaigned vigorously to help secure permanent protection for the [...]
Web used to inform voters
John Key has more than 5000 Facebook friends and Helen Clark has 2000. This could be a sign of what is to come in the world of political campaigning.
Finding out who to vote for and why still tends to be time-consuming and confusing to young people.
The Electoral Commission released information on August 11 showing 56 [...]
THE ABCs OF MMP - Voting made easy
The 2008 election is New Zealand’s fifth under the Mixed Member Proportional system, yet barely half of the voting public find our system easy to understand. Louise Blockley looks at how the complexities of our system influence voters and explains some MMP mysteries.
Support for Maori electorates
Maori politicians are speaking out in support of the separate Maori seats in Parliament after recent calls for their abolition.
“I think it would be a cruel irony if just as Maori are starting to get an equitable place in Parliament, the seats are got rid of,” says Derek Fox (Ngati Porou, Ngati Kahungunu), who will [...]
Te Waha Nui is written and edited by student journalists on the Graduate Diploma in Journalism and Bachelor of Communication Studies courses at AUT University. Views expressed are those of the editorial team and contributors and not of the University