Sunday, October 15, 2006

Anti-immigration nonsense

According to Newsroom, Voting Ban - New Zealand First wants to ban new residents from voting until they have lived in New Zealand for at least three to five years.

How patently stupid. People who by and large pay taxes and make other economic contributions can't vote while people who don't can?

NZ First are clearly back on their anti-immigration kick. That's all they have left now they've abandoned the grey vote.

7 comments:

Lucia Maria said...

People can't vote in Australia unless they are citizens. NZ does seem overly lax in this area, in my opinion.

ZenTiger said...

Let's not just reward people for an economic contribution (ie paying money) but one of commitment and declared loyalty (or at least respect) of the country they wish to live in.

Thus, becoming a citizen or permanent resident, and making a pledge and keeping their nose clean in that intervening time.

Write Disability said...

I'm not so sure it's a bad idea,

As long as they get access to the infrastructure their taxes pay for.

Lindsay Mitchell said...

On those grounds Brian we should ban many NZ citizens.

The American Revolution was based on the idea of no taxation without representation.

Why would you want to stop a person from voting? We've just sent a DHB delegation to London looking for medical professionals. Are we going to say to them we need your expertise but by the way we are not going to let you vote?

Berend de Boer said...

NZ First wants to give the elderlies free petrol, so I doubt they have abandoned the grey vote...

And guys, how many people vote who are not permanent residents? I see ZenTiger's point, but the ten people or so who vote and are not permanent resident aren't really worth the trouble of more laws.

ZenTiger said...

Payment of a bribe need not be the only reason to allow voting.

Lindsay, if we were to adopt "no taxation without representation" would you also suggest people on a benefit throughout an election term not get the vote?

And 16 year old's can have a job and pay taxes, but cannot vote. They have a mandated 2 year waiting period. Is that a problem for you?

How about the concept that you treat something of value as having value, so people give it respect? The vote is something of value.

What's so tough about asking people to formalise their decision to be a part of New Zealand?

It's easy - be born here and live here and turn 18. Or apply for residency and prove you will be a good citizen (3 years of building up a reference, no criminal convictions, contributing to society and a few words saying "I do" and mean it.

What about the young trainee pilot who left the flat of a 9/11 suicide bomber and rocks up in New Zealand to be trained, have a part time job and possibly have Al Qaeda funding his stay. "Oh, while your here, just vote Labour (hey, you paid your taxes), they're such silly buggers when it comes to promoting a benign strategic environment."

Lindsay - re the Doctors. I went to Australia and they said "we need your skills, but you can't vote until you say you are for us".

It didn't prevent me voting - it's called a non-resident's vote back to NZ. I still felt like a kiwi in a strange land for many years, and wasn't interested/committed to vote in Aussie elections, and new once I was, I had to declare that to Australia. Not a bad trade - a declaration I'll take my voting privileges seriously, in exchange for a vote.

They make you take it very seriously in Australia - it's a crime not to vote, once you have the right you must exercise it.

The flip side is you are asking Doctors to come to NZ in a trade of skills for money, and you are throwing in a bonus - hey, you may not give a shit about NZ but you can vote anyway. Of course, if they do care, you say "can we offer you residency, sign this paper, say you care and we have a deal".

The privilege of voting for New Zealand's future needs to be treated as something of value, not a freebie to give to anyone that fronts up with a tax return.

Should foreigners buying land, and paying some form of land tax (rates etc be entitled to vote for parties that will make it easier to buy the whole country when the exchange rate plummets? Why bother even living here, as long as you pay tax somewhere along the line, you get a free vote?

I don't disagree that living here and paying taxes entitles you to access the services you pay for - A&E, the roads, the beaches, shopping at Lower Hutt Westfield, and visiting Te Papa.

But voting? Let's not reduce everything down to a dollar value. Let's ask for some commitment and responsibility. After all, aren't they the very things we see as lacking in so many of the things going wrong in society?

Lindsay Mitchell said...

Zen Tiger, for all intents and purposes beneficiaries do pay tax.

I value the vote and wouldn't prevent others who might also value it from exercising that existng right.

We have few enough now who do.