New Zealand election delayed over coronavirus fears

[Counselor706]

The New Zealand Prime Minister, Jacinda Ardern, was warmly applauded Monday when she announced she was delaying the country’s general election by a month after a spike in coronavirus cases.

The left-wing NZ Labour Party leader indicated the poll, due to take place on September 19, will now be pushed back to 17 October, the NZ Herald reports.

Source

 

[magicalmoments]

The decision has been well received by the public. The opposition parties, who are all failing at the polls, the main conservative opposition National party has changed it's leader 3 times in as many months and has dropped below 30% support in the polls. Ardern and her Labour party has soared to over 50%.

 

[DeYaKen]

The decision has been well received by the public. The opposition parties, who are all failing at the polls, the main conservative opposition National party has changed it's leader 3 times in as many months and has dropped below 30% support in the polls. Ardern and her Labour party has soared to over 50%.

As with most of her policies it sounds sensible to me. It's only a month and, unlike some leaders who seem to want to discourage people from voting, this move gives time for Auckland to open up again so more people will be able to get out and vote.

 

[SpeareChucker]

If that were to happen here,
the tinfoil hat crowd would go absolutely insane
because it would be "The Dictator" wanting to cancel elections...

 

[SpeareChucker]

As with most of her policies it sounds sensible to me. It's only a month and, unlike some leaders who seem to want to discourage people from voting, this move gives time for Auckland to open up again so more people will be able to get out and vote.

What?



They cannot mail it in?


That's all the current 'rage' here...

 

[jaF0]

ANY manipulation or alteration of voting dates by the incumbent is wrong on every level. There are alternatives like mail in balloting. In a tiny speck of dirt in the middle of the ocean where everything is so tightly regulated, they could easily do it via the web.

 

[SpeareChucker]

I don't know if I would go so far as to take such an absolute position,
I'm not from New Zealand and I don't know their culture
or how they think about things.

I'm not willing to judge their actions by my cultural norms,
especially seeing how fast they are melting down
under relentless assault...

 

[waratah]

ANY manipulation or alteration of voting dates by the incumbent is wrong on every level. There are alternatives like mail in balloting. In a tiny speck of dirt in the middle of the ocean where everything is so tightly regulated, they could easily do it via the web.

Garbage. They have the cultural and systemic means to go into care taker mode, and the people who are still alive rather than killed by the pandemic, will hold them to account.

 

[jaF0]

Garbage. They have the cultural and systemic means to go into dictator mode,

Fixed your post. And yes, it's garbage and should be outlawed by international law.

 

[ishtat]

If that were to happen here,
the tinfoil hat crowd would go absolutely insane
because it would be "The Dictator" wanting to cancel elections...

Different systems. The US has a fixed date for elections; in most Westminster style democracies the Prime Minister has a fair amount of leeway in picking the date. So long as they get it done before the full term of the Parliament runs out that is enough. As a flexible system it makes for very short campaigns of 4 to 6 weeks.

 

[Trumpedo]

If that were to happen here,
the tinfoil hat crowd would go absolutely insane
because it would be "The Dictator" wanting to cancel elections...


.

I dont think anyone would object to president pelosi if that were to happen

 

[jaF0]

I dont think anyone would object to president pelosi if that were to happen

I would. Vehemently.

 

[schism666]

If that were to happen here,
the tinfoil hat crowd would go absolutely insane
because it would be "The Dictator" wanting to cancel elections...

so, tin foil hat wearing cowards like vetteman would be committed to bellvue?

 

[LLCox]

That is not how it is done in America. The US voted even during the Civil War. trump is doomed.

 

[HisArpy]

I would. Vehemently.

'

Others would also. Violently.

 

[SpeareChucker]

Different systems. The US has a fixed date for elections; in most Westminster style democracies the Prime Minister has a fair amount of leeway in picking the date. So long as they get it done before the full term of the Parliament runs out that is enough. As a flexible system it makes for very short campaigns of 4 to 6 weeks.

Does that seem to result in less crazy
(as on display here)?

 

[DeYaKen]

Different systems. The US has a fixed date for elections; in most Westminster style democracies the Prime Minister has a fair amount of leeway in picking the date. So long as they get it done before the full term of the Parliament runs out that is enough. As a flexible system it makes for very short campaigns of 4 to 6 weeks.

You also have to bear in mind that they are not electing a single person with the kind of power your president has. They are electing a whole parliament and the party with the largest number of sea ts will form a government. In theory the Prime minister is more like the chairman of a committee. He or she cannot sign executive orders they have to lead their party into making the decisions they want.

In the case of NZ they have all party agreement on deferring the election. The opposition is so far behind in the polls that they are grateful for a little more time.

In Australia voting is compulsory. You can select none of the above but if you don't vote at all you get fined.

 

[magicalmoments]

It is difficult for yanks to give any sensible criticism of our system of govt given that so few, none on here, understand it.

Similarly it is difficult for us to understand the USA with your strange outmoded constitution and primaries and electoral college and two house system and a king who has absolute power.

Our Prime Minister is not our Head of State. That's Queen Elizabeth II who is required to act on the advice of her Prime Minister.
Our Prime Minister is not elected by the people. The job goes to the Leader of the majority party in our single House of Representatives.
The true power of our Govt rests with the Cabinet, chaired by the Prime Mnister.
The Cabinet is selected by the Prime Minister from elected members of the House of Representatives. The Prime Minister cannot appoint random unelected members of the public.
Political parties have sole say over who candidates for election will be. There are no primaries.
We have a single house of representatives, there is no upper house.
While the Prime Minister has some constitutional leeway over setting the actual date of the election this is limited and it must be within 3 months of the expiry of the term. In the current case there was 100% agreement that the election date should be deferred, the main opposition party wanted it deferred for longer than the month the Prime Minister allowed. No NZ'er, except a few of the tinfoil hat brigade are threatened by this.

 

[waratah]

Fixed your post. And yes, it's garbage and should be outlawed by international law.

Nah. No dictators in NZ, current pm navigating the process and respecting laws and conventions. (Discussion with opposition and GG).

There is a borderline nutjob in USA got potential though. No respect for conventions, or process

 

[Dreamliner]

magicalmoments laid it out succinctly.

This weeks comparison from the USA to NZ is laughable. Overnight it has been reinforced by leaders there, covid is out-of-control here, all of five, yes 5, new cases. In comparison, over forty six thousand, that is 46,000, in the USA over the same time period.

Over 150,000 deaths compared to 22 here.

Perhaps focus on another country as that is a losing argument.

 

[Debbie]

Politics or people first in a difficult situation that is facing the whole world.

I think that this wasn't taken lightly by our elected prime minister and government and she consulted with other political party leaders and supposedly 60% of nzers are in agreement.



https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12357017

 

[HisArpy]

Politics or people first in a difficult situation that is facing the whole world.

I think that this wasn't taken lightly by our elected prime minister and government and she consulted with other political party leaders and supposedly 60% of nzers are in agreement.



https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12357017

The part you're missing is that NZ has the constitutional power to do what they're doing.

The US government doesn't have the same authority or powers.

Comparing the 2 on that basis is unequal.

 

[Trumpedo]

'

Others would also. Violently.

Trump tries to delay elections, in Jan, pelosi will be president once trump's 4 years are up.

It's nice that you admit you hate america and the constitution. Welcome to the club, asshole!

 

[islandman]

If that were to happen here,
the tinfoil hat crowd would go absolutely insane
because it would be "The Dictator" wanting to cancel elections...

^^^^^

Low civics IQ citizen who doesn't know that only Congress has the authority to set the timing of the general election.

 

[Debbie]

The part you're missing is that NZ has the constitutional power to do what they're doing.

The US government doesn't have the same authority or powers.

Comparing the 2 on that basis is unequal.

Fair enough