The Political Machine

Believe it or not, I try to stay away from politics. I have an opinion, but mostly I have no idea. I have no idea about the machinations of Parliament, about the nuances of economies, about the cut and thrust of an election campaign, about the deals that may or may not go on behind closed doors.

Mostly I know how it is to live day to day with the price of everyday goods going up while wages increase at a vastly disproportionate rate (if at all). I know that three years ago we paid 99c for a loaf of Couplands bread and now, for what appears to be the same loaf of bread, we're paying $2.49. I know that at the same store we used to get two 2 litre bottles of milk for $4, and now it is $6.60. Cheese was $9 a kilo and went to nearly $15, but when obviously too many people couldn't afford it and stopped buying as much of it the price dropped again to $9. Now it's about $12. There was an uproar when petrol climbed towards $2 a litre and it dropped quickly; only to ever so quietly sneak up again so that now it's well over $2 and nobody is batting an eyelid. Two years ago we could get Josh a pair of shoes for twenty bucks. Now it's closer to thirty (and it's not just because his feet are bigger).


MPs have recently received a $7000 pay rise. Backdated to July. This, of course, puts them even further out of touch with average Joe Kiwi.

I know all these things to be true, but I don't know what it means in the bigger picture. Jackie works for the same Government the MPs do and she hasn't had a pay rise lately, let alone a backdated one.

So I voted National. Again. Supposedly National is pro-business and (tacitly) supports the widening gap between rich and poor. But that same gap sure widened during the 9 years Labour was in power so I don't buy into the whole Labour is for the little guy mantra. Sure $15 minimum wage is better than $13, but no matter what there is a cost to someone, somewhere. And to be fair, $15 an hour would make little difference in this economy. You sure can't get ahead earning $15 an hour, and it's debatable whether you can even live a decent life earning it. So, in reality, it's academic. It was a carrot Labour could dangle in front of the gullible New Zealand voters, knowing he would never have to make good on it, but hoping it would give him some votes.

Such are the games politicians play. Sometimes I think they are oblivious to the fact that the games they play involve real people and real lives, with real consequences. Otherwise they could not look in the camera and suggest with a straight face that $15 an hour is a livable wage.

We don't need a change of Government. We don't need a change of voting system. We need a change of heart, a change of philosophy. Everyone is quick to point out that something is terribly wrong with the system, and that's true. But the same people are all about putting bandaids on gaping wounds and that isn't going to cut it.

Maybe for this country to really get ahead, those at the top of the pyramid need a change of perspective. It always used to bug me that my former employer, in the wake of earning 250 million dollars of profit in a particular quarter, come wage negotiations time, cried poverty and baulked at a 2.5% increase for the workers. It seemed to me that out of a BILLION dollars of annual profit they could easily afford to give their staff a significant wage increase and still talk about profits in the eight figures.

So maybe those who are earning huge salaries SHOULD pay more tax, just to address the imbalance that is crippling this country. How many owners of huge companies are paying their staff minimum wage? How many people earning millions of dollars a year pay almost no taxes at all?

But mention accountability for benficiaries and you're a beny basher.

Many of the people at the bottom of the pyramid need a change of attitude too. Why should ANYONE simply get money from hard working taxpayers without an ounce of accountability? It would be nice to see the now entrenched sense of entitlement suddenly involve a sense of responsibility. And I shouldn't have to say it, but because we have become so sensitive about it, I am NOT suggesting benefits should be abolished, or even cut back. I'm simply saying benefits should be harder to get and harder to keep. But at the other end, I think those who genuinely deserve welfare help should not have to struggle. They should have food on the table and educational opportunities, and an instilled sense of pride and ambition.

But that goes for the entire population. All the major systems in New Zealand need a revamp. Health, education - especially education - criminal and justice, welfare, tax, and more. They all need a complete overhaul.

But that ain't gonna happen. National will juggle them a bit, no different to what Labour would have done. Basically maintain the status quo, while changing minor details to give the appearance they are doing something positive. And so the cycle will continue, until we probably vote in a Labour government in 3 or 6 years.