Editor
Our fathers and fore-fathers shed blood for it; our story is quite different. Our democratic participation is on a country was built on it; we continue to vigorously defend it. It is slide, a slippery slide. Our voter turn-out in 2002 dropped to democracy and with it comes the right to be a free citizen in a free 77 per cent, in 2005 it was back up to 80.9 per cent, in 2008 it country. We are proud that democracy is enshrined at all levels dropped again to 79.5 per cent and in 2011 hit an all-time low of New Zealand society. Starting at the top, every eligible voter at a dismal 74.2 per cent. has the right to vote for a party and whomever they think is best We are beginning to shirk our responsibilities. The first sign to represent their electorate in parliament which is aptly called of democratic failure is when a government is elected by a the House of Representatives. We are proud of our forebears diminishing number of voters. This tends to result in elected who fought to establish this right for us and especially proud of representatives taking liberties. Thus we see Government the politically motivated pioneer women, led by Kate Sheppard, implementing policies far outside of the peoples’ wishes. In who battled for two long decades to win women’s suffrage in a low voter turn-out environment, a Government can even New Zealand. These women, in ignore the results of a peoples’ 1893, put New Zealand on the The first sign of democratic failure referendum and proceed with world stage as the first country its plans anyway. We have seen where women had won the is when a government is elected by this already with the asset right to vote. sales programme going ahead, a diminishing number of voters. Along with democracy come despite 67.2 per cent of New other freedoms which we cherish, they are the freedom of the media Zealanders opposing the programme. to inform the public, to seek the truth, and be critical without being If we continue to be irresponsible and disengage with censored; the freedom of religious and political expression; the democracy we will find Governments of any hue will ignore freedom to conduct research and to publish the findings without us. I am not implying a direct cause and effect here, just that fear or favour; the freedom to walk the streets of our towns and there is a strong correlation between a disinterested public and cities without discrimination, regardless of ethnicity. Governments doing as they please. Every day we read reports of countries in which people don’t Too often we as citizens look to blame others for our enjoy these freedoms, where they are treated cruelly by evil complacency or take the attitude that ‘my vote won’t make any despots, where ethnic cleansing can occur without scrutiny and difference’. We pay attention to the polls and say ‘oh the party all manner of discrimination, atrocities and torturous practices I like isn’t high in the polls so I won’t vote.’ What we fail to say abound unchecked. We witness countries where more resource is, if I and all the other non-voters did show more interest, the is poured into censorship of the internet than into extending results might look different. accessibility and where certain ethnic groups are deliberately I saw a video recently, with a very poignant message. It used ten targeted and kept unjustly disenfranchised. We watch as corrupt faces to represent the voters of New Zealand. It then showed how governments steal from their own people, abusing their position we voted in the last election. What it showed was that 3 and a half of power and privilege. faces of the 10 actually voted for the Government. That’s about a Without democracy, this could be our reality. To preserve our third. The non-voters plus those who voted for opposition parties democratic society, we have responsibilities. One of those is to make up the other two thirds. It’s a slightly biased presentation be a good citizen and to participate in democratic processes, the in that it doesn’t show how things would look if the non-voters benefits of which we value so highly. It behoves every one of us had all voted for the parties now in Government. Nevertheless to be watchful and to point out examples of democratic ‘erosion’ it has a good strong message for non-voters. Not voting is antiwhich could lead to ‘anti-democratic creep’ and ultimately democratic. Not voting means Governments can be elected by undermine democracy as we know it. one third of the eligible voters. You can view the video on: https:// When there are no obvious threats, it is easy to become www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Lu2FUKFaLE&feature=youtu.be complacent, never imagining that our fortunes could turn. I This is the thin edge of the wedge. As responsible citizens we once studied American Presidential election campaigns and must remember our forebears and how they fought to ensure was astonished to discover that the American President could we could walk and talk freely in our own country. We dishonour be elected by fewer than 50 per cent of the American people. At them if we do not take our democratic responsibilities seriously. the same time, we in New Zealand were recording numbers in If we want to preserve the freedoms we hold so dear for future excess of 90 per cent voter turnout for general elections. generations, encourage New Zealanders, and especially young Fast forward to the most recent four elections and the New Zealanders to get out and vote in this election.