The Indian Weekender Friday, 23 October 2020

The Indian Weekender Friday, October 23, 2020
NEW ZEALAND 3
Kiwi voter the true hero of Election 2020
This is what 2020 looks like. The Kiwi voter knows it better than most
DEV NADKARNI
While the Labour Party has
been deservedly feted for its
unprecedented 2020 election
victory, it is the New Zealand voter who is the
true hero for crafting a result that goes well
beyond the power they gave Labour to govern
alone – in itself an absolute rarity in any MMP
system.
If you look beyond that absolute majority
for one party – which defeats the very purpose
of a system like MMP – it is clear that result
was no fluke but was thoughtfully crafted. By
none other than the New Zealand voter, giving
themselves a parliament that truly reflects
contemporary New Zealand.
Consider this:
New Zealand is the first self-governing
modern nation to have given women the right
to vote 107 years ago. Today, the newly formed
Parliament comprises 48 women.
In recent years a frequently heard lament
is the disengagement of young people from
politics. As if to address that issue, the Kiwi
voter has ensured 25 per cent of the Parliament
to be below the age of 40.
Despite handing a landslide win for
Labour making the party uncharacteristically
monolithic in a MMP system, the Kiwi voter
has ensured that three minor parties espousing
a diversity of values and agendas are in
Parliament (Greens, ACT and Maori Party).
In that sense the clever voter has kept alive
the spirit of MMP, giving a four-party system
for governance over the next three years.
With a strategic left/centre-left/indigenous
seat count of 76 in a 120-seat House and a 55
per cent collective vote share, the Kiwi voter
has deliberately left out the right/centre
right bloc collectively (National +
ACT) with just 43 seats and a 35
per cent vote share (all numbers
might change marginally in the
final count due November 6).
Most Kiwis voted
strategically enough to get three
minor parties in at the expense of
one major party, the National Party,
a clear no-confidence in that party’s
policies, programmes and leadership.
The Kiwi voter proved beyond doubt that
big dollar appeasement strategies don’t wash
as New Zealand First found out, being booted
out despite its much touted multi-billion dollar
Provincial Fund and with no one credible
in sight to succeed the charismatic
Winston Peters.
Most
Kiwis voted
strategically enough
to get three minor parties
in at the expense of one
major party, the National
Party, a clear no-confidence
in that party’s policies,
programmes and
leadership
The new Parliament comprises
11 per cent rainbow people
(world’s highest)
This Parliament is the
most ethnically diverse in
the country’s history with
the first ever Latin American,
African and Sri Lankan MPs.
Proudly for Kiwi-Indians,
it has the first ever Indian origin
electoral MP (though there have been
List MPs earlier).
Several MPs from the Pacific Islands, giving
island people their biggest ever presence of
elected representatives in the Labour party.
From post-election analyses it is evident that
many traditionally National voters, particularly
from the provincial and rural farming bloc,
having given up on National going by its
dismal polling all along, strategically voted for
Labour to give it an absolute majority to help
keep the Greens at bay, because of policies that
the agricultural sector perceives as too extreme
and radical.
There is no doubt that this result was a big
tick in confidence for Prime Minister Jacinda
Ardern’s leadership through the Covid-19
crisis – something that has made her a globally
feted personality.
Her popularity, halo or pixie dust as some
have put it would have been a challenge for any
opposing party to counter.
• Continued on Page 6
bayleys.co.nz/commercial
Boundary lines are indicative only
Investment flats on 2,043sqm freehold site
22 Landscape Road, Papatoetoe
• Large 2,043sqm (more or less) site zoned
Residential Mixed Housing Urban
• Freehold multi-tenanted residential flats; if fully
tenanted annual income: $145,600 per annum
(approx.). Please note Unit 4 is currently vacant as
Vendor has recently refurbished the unit
• In close proximity to Papatoetoe Train Station,
schools, New World supermarket and the newly
upgraded St George St mall
• Opportunity to invest, hold or develop
For Sale by Deadline Private Treaty
(unless sold prior)
11am, Thu 29 Oct 2020
2 Harris Road, East Tamaki
Tony Chaudhary 021 995 121
tony.chaudhary@bayleys.co.nz
Amy Weng 021 177 3422
amy.weng@bayleys.co.nz
Janak Darji 021 047 1290
janak.darji@bayleys.co.nz
BAYLEYS REAL ESTATE LTD, MANUKAU, LICENSED REAA 2008
bayleys.co.nz/1902871