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Post by flyjoe180 on Jun 21, 2007 10:51:42 GMT 12
Amazing how much this list MP is affecting the lives of so many in this country. The latest scheme is to lower the voting age from 18 to 16: Green Party MP Sue Bradford has announced she will be putting forward a Bill - the Civics Education and Voting Age Bill - in the next Parliamentary private members ballot, to lower the voting age.
":The main effect of the Bill would be to lower the voting age to 16 - and this change would go hand in hand with making civics education a compulsory part of the national education curriculum.
"At sixteen, young people can get married, have children, and be taxed. If we are serious about trying to get young peoples' voices into the public arena and heard in places of power, they should be allowed to vote.  I personally do not agree with Bradford's proposal. At 16 we are immature in the ways of the world, and lack an understanding of the political system and life as an adult. We own nothing at 16, we have no mortgage, no business interests, nothing of significance that would show us the effects of voting for the 'wrong crowd'. We are more prone to 'popular' issues, whether it be the environment or anti-smacking, or whatever. We are also prone to being influenced easily by the media, by our peers, and by those in charge of us. In my view we are probably more 'left' in the political spectrum at that age than we might be with a bit of life experience. Take the drinking age as an example. The drinking age was lowered to 18. Result: teenage drinkers causing havoc in some areas. Now the debate is that the age should be raised to 20 again. Duh! Bradford, do me a favour and leave the system alone, you have no right to play with it withuot our say so.  |
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Post by corsair67 on Jun 21, 2007 11:52:55 GMT 12
I wouldn't trust most 16 year olds to be able use a toilet properly, let alone make a decision about who should be elected to run the country. For goodness sake, most 16 year olds think 'popstars' like Pink, Snoop Dogg or any of those Idol clowns have something useful to offer the world!  |
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Post by beagle on Jun 21, 2007 11:55:57 GMT 12
who's Pink or Snoop Dog
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Post by stu on Jun 21, 2007 12:11:41 GMT 12
"At sixteen, young people can get married, have children, and be taxed. If we are serious about trying to get young peoples' voices into the public arena and heard in places of power, they should be allowed to vote." My 14 year old daughter has a part time job and pays tax so by using the logic - and I use Bradford and logic in the loosest possible connection - of this tired old tree hugging trout, she should be able to vote too!! I hate to say it, but as these morons (from several parties) that have somehow got into positions of power in parliament continue to pour forth such drivel I'm starting to see why my father seems so much happier now that he's moved to Australia ..... very tempting at the moment. Vent valve on spleen now moving to closed position. |
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Post by corsair67 on Jun 21, 2007 12:11:51 GMT 12
My point exactly! ;D
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Post by stu on Jun 21, 2007 12:15:43 GMT 12
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Post by beagle on Jun 21, 2007 12:20:13 GMT 12
go bruno lawerence
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Post by corsair67 on Jun 21, 2007 12:20:48 GMT 12
I don't think they can - isn't their drummer deceased? And Stu, there are plenty of idiot politicians over here too: they're just not in the same league as some of the Kiwi ones though - although Pauline Hanson comes pretty close!  |
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Post by beagle on Jun 21, 2007 12:21:46 GMT 12
ROVE for PM
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Post by corsair67 on Jun 21, 2007 12:25:37 GMT 12
Rove for PM - now that is scary!  How about Charlotte Dawson for NZ PM?  ? |
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Post by stu on Jun 21, 2007 12:32:18 GMT 12
I don't think they can - isn't their drummer deceased? And Stu, there are plenty of idiot politicians over here too: they're just not in the same league as some of the Kiwi ones though - although Pauline Hanson comes pretty close! Bruno Lawrence's Electric Revelation and Traveling Apparition ... all we need to do is find a replacement for Bruno with the same initials  I think that no matter where you go there'll be idiot politicians to a lesser or greater degree. However, at the moment we seem to be world leaders. As for Bradford, I think Danny Watson has just summed her up nicely on the radio - "a waste of space". |
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Post by corsair67 on Jun 21, 2007 12:36:23 GMT 12
Yes, Sue Bradford's quite a special person!
I never knew that's what BLERTA stood for. You learn something new everyday.
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Post by beagle on Jun 21, 2007 12:39:26 GMT 12
you know her quite well ?? |
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Post by stu on Jun 21, 2007 12:40:47 GMT 12
Loved the comment made by Rove's offsider, Peter Helliar, when he was over here for the recent comedy festival. Something along the lines of - "ha ha, your Prime-minister's got a girls name" ... pause as if receiving message on earpiece ... "oops, sorry" |
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Post by Dave Homewood on Jun 21, 2007 12:48:41 GMT 12
I agree with your rant Joe. However we have little to fear in this.
If the voting age goes down to 16 it will have no affect at election time. You can't get 16 year olds to do anything responsible and mature like that, so they won't go out and vote anyway. I wouldn't have voted at that age!
I think the only way they would get 16 year olds off their chuffs and vote en masse would be if National became sponsored by Telecom and Labour by Vodafone, and it was all done via texting. In fact the politicains would ahve to have a pop singing or dancing competition on TV to get that generation interested in voting.
As for Bradford's logic that everything should be alligned to 16 years old, will her next bill be lowering the drinking age to 16? I hope so, it makes perfect sense. Right now all the 18 year olds are being blamed for death and destruction through alcohol. In fact it is but a tiny few of the many 18 year olds who exercise their lawful right to drink - the rest are responsible young adults. Those who're abusing the privilege are generally doing so because parents and guardians have made bad choices and left them alone in a house full of booze, etc. or they have drunk and drove. Sadly most of the drinking and driving culprits are well over 35 years old, so lets not blame the youngsters.
If they do lower it to 16, by the time they're 18 they'll be more experienced with alcohol and will have learned responsibiities surrounding it. Meanwhile the 16 year olds are so young they'll pass out after two drinks and society will be a better place. Mind you, then we have the trouble of the 17 year olds in limbo...
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Post by corsair67 on Jun 21, 2007 12:48:49 GMT 12
Beags, Charlotte or Sue?
I thought every bloke in NZ knew Charlotte - in the biblical sense! ;D
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Post by beagle on Jun 21, 2007 12:54:54 GMT 12
no, you are thinking of April Iramea
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Post by Dave Homewood on Jun 21, 2007 12:55:57 GMT 12
I think that no matter where you go there'll be idiot politicians to a lesser or greater degree. However, at the moment we seem to be world leaders. You seem to have forgotten about the USA and Great Britain Stuff BLERTA, bring back Spot On! |
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Post by Dave Homewood on Jun 21, 2007 12:57:33 GMT 12
Who the hell is this Charlotte Dawson? Is she that annoying Aussie sheila that used to front some loser problems show where hasbeen politicians and people like Suzanne Paul offered their unwanted advice?
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Post by beagle on Jun 21, 2007 12:59:51 GMT 12
comon dave, you KNOW charlotte
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