NZ Politics - from where I sit

The 2011 election - 5 sleeps away as I heard our prime-minister say this morning on the radio.
When you realise that New Zealand is smaller than some of the large cities in the world, our politics pale into insignificance in the greater scheme of things, but that doesn't mean that it's not important. Important to us, who live here, anyway.

I am a right-wing voter. And I hate MMP. I will definitely be voting for a change of system at these elections, but probably not for a change of government. Though the National party are far from perfect - far, far, far - I seem them as a stable government which is what NZ needs at the moment. And I can actually see what they're trying to say about the asset sales. Labour's answer to that seems to plunge us deeper and deeper into debt, and National started governing 3 years ago on the back foot because of Labour's financial irresponsibility. They've had to make up a lot of lost ground.

So here's where I stand on the current parties:

National - I like John Key because he's not a politician - what I mean by that is, he's not a career politician, like Helen Clarke was. He's a rich man because he worked hard before he got into politics. He seems like one of us.

Labour - I hate Labour and all it stands for. My working-class grandparents would probably turn in their graves if they knew I said that. But in essence Labour is a socialist party, and when I think of socialism I think of communist Russia.

Act -  I don't actually know much about act, except that they need to get their act together.

Greens - I like Sue Kedgley, but that is about all I like about the greens. Their leader is an Australian, and not that I have anything against Australians, but I do think political leaders for New Zealand should be natural-born kiwis. It's a loyalty thing.

Winston Peters and the NZ First Party - all I have to say about them is that New Zealanders have very short memories!

The Maori Party - I have a lot of respect for the Maori Party - I think they have conducted themselves well since National came into power, but I would not vote for them.


Hone Harawira - uummmmmm.......

Peter Dunn - again I say that New Zealanders have a short memory.

Conservative Party - newly formed by Colin Craig. This is where I pause a little, because I grew up with Colin Craig in Auckland. I know him personally and I know for sure without a doubt that he is honest and that he will always do the right thing; he's very intelligent (it was always hard to win in an argument with him when we'd be doing the dishes after a lunch with his family or mine), a good, kind person, and my brother is also running for the Hawkes Bay for the Conservatives. If they meet the 5% threshold, or whatever it is that they need to get into parliament, my brother's life is going to change dramatically!

So it's either National or the Conservatives for me. I will probably vote national because I want the government to stay the same, but I'd like to be able to vote the Conservatives because I think they'd be a good voice for integrity in parliament.

So that's my take on our current politics. I am sick of the tea-cup saga. I think the NZ media (excluding Mike Hosking and Leighton Smith) are a bunch of socialists and are bordering on gutter-journalism. They should be ashamed of themselves.

So three cheers for democracy! I am so glad I can publish my views publically - it is hard fought for, and hard-won, and I don't take it for granted. I enjoy the freedom to choose and to vote for myself.