Tuesday, August 05, 2008

Politics and freedom in NZ


Did you hear the news? There is a general election coming up later this year.

Our electoral system is called MMP. What does it stand for? Can you explain what it really means? Compare it to our old system, which was called First Past the Post. What on earth might that mean? Do politicians run a race to see who gets into power?

There may be a referendum at the next election to see if New Zealanders want to re-consider the value of the MMP system and maybe think about changing it to something else. If you're interested. Share your research findings and opinions here.

:-)

Oh, by the way - who invented democacy? And do we really have a democracy?
By the way - I think Helen Clarke is a great politician who will be remembered as one of our best ever. I'm not so sure Che Guevara is quite the hero that people make him out to be either. This cartoon may not be entirely complimentary to Auntie Helen, and in fact I believe it is inappropriate to make such personal, public put downs about anyone [except Australian and English rugby players or George Bush] but at least in this country we can publish something like this without being executed or locked in prison. Our freedom is seen as a right. Other countries are not as free as ours. Can you name any countries where freedom is limited compared to us?

12 comments:

Tweedle-Dum Plum said...

Wow this is interesting!!!

mech boy said...

MMP stands for Mixed Member Proportional.
In MMP you have two votes; one for the party you want to vote for, and you vote for a candidate in your electorate. There are 120 seats in parliament, only 60 electorates can get seats. The winner in each electorate goes to parliament. The party who gets the most votes get the most seats in parliament. The leader of the party with the most votes has to try and make other parties to support them, if they manage to do that, they become Prime Minister. If not, then the party with the next highest amount of votes has a go at it.
In First past the Post-winner takes all-the candidate with the most votes gets a seat in Parliament and the party with the most seats has their leader become Prime Minister.

**KERLI** said...

I don't know much about that first bit but I think that England might not have be the most free speech country.
Also that country with Robert Mugabe in it.

rosiegal said...

Wow, you are good at this political stuff!! I thought it was something to do with MP being minister of parliment(with an extra M), but obviousely not!!
Who is Che Guevara??
Is that cartoon's face (not hair, I know what that part is) meant to be) meant to be Helen clark, cause it sure doesnt look like her!!
Did any one hear on the news about Bill English secretly despising his party and leader! What not to do when coming up to an election!!!
I dont really get the whole politics thing, its sorta wasted on me...
Oh well, at least others like mech boy get it, Im still confuzzled!

Nei-Nei Neina-Marie said...

Well, a country who were sued for not having a right to have their own freedom was those people in England was it? who were sued for tel;ling the TRUTH.
I think the prime minister is AWESOME. I am not sexist or anything, but I think Helen Clarke is way better than John Key.
You know a lot Mechboy!

mudpies02 said...

China, Russia, Germany... um, I think that's what we said in class! Is Israel one too?

The Combined schools' Lit quiz today was awesome!!

mech boy said...

Sorry this off topic but...
We had that discussion about whether or not animals should have the same rights we do, right?
Well I have a question for you; are animal afraid of death like we are?

If so, which animals do you think do?

I asked my dad and he said it depends on the animal.
I don't really know the answer, but it might get us thinking.


Plus...

Able was I ere I saw Elba.

I'm curious to know if anyone can tell me what that palindrome was about.

-The truth is that the average schoolmaster, on all the lower levels, is and always must be essentially and next door to an idiot, for how can one imagine an intelligent man engaging in so puerile an avocation?-H.L. Mencken.

CAPTAIN JACK said...

Personnally I think NZ politics and politicians are silly!
And they always say 'Oh we'll do this we'll do that!' But they never do.

CAPTAIN JACK

8^D3

CAPTAIN JACK said...

Some of this stuff is pretty shocking!!!

CAPTAIN JACK

8^(3

CAPTAIN JACK said...

Uh Mudpies,
Isreal is quit a free country.
Probably the army stuff is the most unfree thing!

CAPTAIN JACK

8^D3

CAPTAIN JACK said...

WOOPS!!!
Quite
8^B3
KKK

Anthony said...

New Zealand is a limited monarchy!