Brace Yourselves

The slightly-disconcerting political heat is becoming increasingly noticeable with just over a week remaining until the 2005 General Election. I understand that during most of the election campaigns that have taken place throughout New Zealand's history, various people will have triggered off alarm bells, issuing the warning that "there's a lot at stake in this election." This is because during most elections there is a substantial amount that is at stake. While I don't deny that I feel much more involved in this election than any previous ones -- due to the fact that since 2002 I have developed a more intense interest in politics and also that I am now eligible to vote -- I am thoroughly confident when I say that a lot is resting on the results of this election. Indeed, I perceive that right at this moment in time, in regard to domestic politics, New Zealand is dangling in the most precarious position that it has been for over a decade. Tolerance, integrity, and lives are all at stake -- and you know what I am implying by bringing up those points.

Last night's final televised leader's debate served little purpose other than to provide the viewing public with what was basically a rushed sum-up of what the eight parliamentary parties had been stating throughout the entire campaign. Even having watched this debate and many others (I think possibly all the others that were televised), I still find myself contemplating the possibility that I may end up making my final decision when I'm actually in the polling booth. I don't think this reflects well on the nature of last night's debate. As I mentioned before, this is a very important election and certainly provides some justification for tactical voting. The voting public have a right to be provided with information of enough depth that they may make a solid and confident choice as to whom they are voting for.

I acknowledge that Mark Sainsbury did, quite frankly, an utterly superb job at chairing the debate. One can particularly appreciate this when one takes into account the raw aggression of many of the politicians involved. The aggression really served well to evoke the frantic and dire atmosphere of these concluding days of the election campaign, and emphasise how much is hanging in the balance. Also emphasising the outright sense of tensity was the reckless namedropping of the Exclusive Brethren by the left. The most notably aggressive individual was, unsurprisingly, that snarling little terrier clinging by his teeth to the trouser of our multicultural society, Winston Peters. When it came time for an ad break and Winston was in the middle of a lenghty spiel, he threw a number of complaints Mark's way: "No, no, no! Unfair, Mark!" Mark was of course obligated to insist that the ad break take place. As the TV cameras switched to an all-encompassing view of the politicians from the back of the crowd, Winston visibly raised his finger, and just before the sound cut out, the viewers caught air of Winston affirming "Now listen here, mate..."

Despite the fact that the voting public is virtually dependent on itself to be able to make a truely informed vote through individual research, it is getting late for such research now. Even if you have not done any research of your own, it is still certain that if you are above the voting age it would be an inexcusable travesty not to vote. It's your choice who to vote for -- I'm not going to boss you around in that respect -- but please do vote. I urge you to. It will only involve a diversion of a few minutes from your time-frittering lifestyle. The best part is that, for merely voting, you will have real grounds on which to complain about the political state of this country. You know, that's really good value for those of us who can't be bothered getting off our arses and engaging in some actual political activity, if you ask me.