Is there an Election on?

This Government is meant to campaigning for an election. The Green Party are making all the right noises and coming up with ideas and releasing policy. Dr Russell Norman is a great co-leader snappy dresser and quick with a sound bite.
The have a cohesive party , a plan , some billboards out and up in the community and have broad general appeal. I really hope their vote doubles this election. They have worked hard and have earned a far better representation in Parliament. Plus they seem nice.
We know they are nice. They support animal rights and attract a few of our more famous Thespians. We know Metiria is a nice person. In fact she is a star.

The Labour party does not have the same appeal and voters need to learn that with MMP you have two votes and they don't have to be for either Labour or National. Its time we got over the dichotomy of red or blue. We need to see what else is on offer and probe a little deeper.
Despite the soothing assurances from the National Party that all is well, be well warned.
This is a party who is incompetent to deal with a crisis.
It is unable to make a decision and tends to create layers of consultants all on big fat payments to do very little.

Christchurch will not be voting National. Christchurch has been badly let down by money problems and an unwillingness to spend where it is needed. A year on most people in Christchurch are still waiting for information. Still  it seems that the only attention is on the CBD and looking after business owners. I understand that there is a need to rebuild a city but who will come to shop when they have no money , security or jobs.

The rebuild of ChCh should have been underway on land and sections provided at cost by the Government. The stranglehold on the city by the Insurance Companies seems a feeble excuse to the power the Government demonstrated in its haste to "take over the waterfront" in Auckland. How come, entertainment is a priority with John Key?

The West Coast will not be voting National after the handling of the Pike River. The callousness has been exposed by the local community who feel badly misled .

There are also other smaller parties this year hotly contesting the election. The Mana Party by far is the most exciting and has steadily gained support throughout New Zealand . It will be the one to watch. The Maori Party will be lucky to make it back into Parliament as many Maori do not see the Maori Party as truly representative.

The ALCP will be contesting the Party vote, but they have yet to make much of am impression on the polls.

This is the Election, where alcohol and drugs should be discussed and the Law Commission has indicated the sensible approaches needed to reduce the harm to our communities from alcohol. It seems that we are no mood to be sensible, there is a party on and the whole of New Zealand is invited.

Its a wee bit scary , when you think of the money wasted on this thuggy sport when there are 200,000 children living in poverty and I'm guessing they don't get much benefit from the RWC.
Its a bit like the band playing on while the Titantic was sinking, by comparison, we are smiling and laughing and waving our RWC flags while children's tummies are rumbling and our national debt is rising. oh well It seems no one else is overly concerned.