But first lets talk a little bit about some of the positives of New Zealand voting:
- Residents (not just citizens) can vote.
- You can enroll/register the day before an election.
- Election day is a Saturday.
- You can vote at any polling place.
- Polling place identification is not required.
- I really, really love Mixed Member Proportional voting and I'm happy as a clam that Kiwis voted to retain it.
- You can vote with a beer in your hand.
It's almost like you're being encouraged to vote! The US could learn a lot from this type of approach (wankers like Hans von Spakovsky I'm looking at you) that encourages participation as opposed to making it harder to vote (especially if you're brown or a Democrat) under the guise of reducing (virtually non-existent) voter fraud.
National obviously did well this election managing a significant plurality of the party vote and the electorate seats but I find the claims of a mandate obviously self-serving and frankly ridiculous. To my mind a mandate implies that a signifiant majority of the electorate understand and support your policies and National fails on both counts.
Also it's going to be an interesting parliament. In spite of National's good showing the government's position/majority would appear to be the similar to that of the last government, i.e., tenuous/slim. And they've also earned some more difficult opposition in the Greens, NZ First and Hone Harawira. Also the luck (and it was luck, pure and simple) that National have had over the past three years with comparatively favourable economic conditions, lackluster opposition and non-existent critical press is likely to run out soon. It's going to be a very hard three years.
Lastly, this is the time for the left to go after National while they're distracted with gloating and deal making and before they get their feet on the ground. Labour needs to go back to their roots (fighting for the working people instead of triangulating to the centre/right) and the Greens need to be the Greens but not so nice about it. With few exceptions the left has been significantly more successful in governing and the right more successful in opposition. The left could learn something from right (perhaps Winston Peters) about being in the opposition.
Phil Goff saw little success as Labour leader and most assume that he won't hold that position for much longer. However, he is a more than decent man dealt some pretty hard cards. I hope that he stays a MP and that he finds his roots again.
