My article in Chaff

I wrote an article for publication in the student newspaper, Chaff. It was published on pg.12 Issue 22 which came out on 13th September.

Why you should be on the electoral role and vote in the city council elections.

1. Enrolling takes only a few minutes. You can pick up a pack at the council and post offices, or even do it online at www.elections.org.nz
2. Voting is important. If you don’t vote for the people you want to represent you then you will just have to put up with others you may not want making the decisions which affect you.
3. Because you can!

Unsure that anything city council does actually affects you? Well, consider this…

• Council sets the rates. Rates & rent. Council also determines how many rubbish bags you get, or if you get any. Roads, footpaths, even the licensing of bars and cafes, all these are dependent on council.
• Every business and every property owner pays rates. Where they can, they will pass on their costs to customers and tenants. Don’t imagine for one moment that the textbook you buy doesn’t contribute to covering the costs of doing business.
• Use the parks, swimming pools or sports grounds? All these come at a cost and you pay for the privilege. Your landlord pays, the businesses you use pay, and Massey/UCOL/IPC pays. You may not be handing money over at the gate but you most certainly pick up the cost along the line.
• The council plays a major role in economic development in the city. Think you may like to stay in Palmerston North? Need part-time work now? Then you probably don’t want to have councillors who are not interested in job creation.
• Use water? Go to the loo? Guess what? PNCC provides this infrastructure, all ratepayers pay for it and the costs filter down to hit your pocket.
• Do you have a dog? City Council sets the registration fees as well as the by-laws which establish where you can take your dog.
• The Youth One-Stop Shop, Student City initiatives, bike lanes to Massey, cycle access around the CBD, festivals and events these all require ongoing council support.

I’m not writing an ad here to extol the work of the city council so if you want to know more about what it does and how it directly affects your lives you can call into the Customer Service Centre in The Square and have a look at the information, leaflets etc. that are there. Or check out the council website at www.pncc.govt.nz.

Do you think your one vote doesn’t really matter?

It is estimated that there are 11,700 voters aged between 18 and 24 in Palmerston North, with another 4,350 between 25 and 29. 47.38% of these voters were not enrolled as at the end of July.

The voters already enrolled in the other age groups total 30,500. Local government elections usually see around 40% of registered voters actually voting.
So, let’s say 40% of the 30 and over age group vote, that’s 12,200 people.
Now, let’s say everybody aged 18 to 29 enrols, and votes. That’s 16,050.
Do you still think students and younger people can’t make a difference?

Did you know?

NZ was the first country to give women the vote (in 1893 - it took Australia another nine years to see the light) but what is the point in having the right if you don’t use it?

The latest figures from Local Government NZ show that in 1998 only 29% of local government elected members are women.

From 1896 until 1967 Māori (except proven ‘half-castes’) were not allowed to stand as parliamentary candidates in “European” seats. In 1995, Māori made up only 3.5% of local government elected members. Today, this is estimated to be only marginally better, at 4%.

Until 1952 the Chinese in New Zealand were not permitted to vote or stand for public office.

I encourage you all to get involved in this council election. If you are not yet enrolled, it’s not too late. Voting is done by postal ballot so you don’t even have to get out of bed on a Saturday to do it. Papers will be mailed out on 17th September and have to be returned by 9th October. You have a voice - use it!
(Note: the published article does not say that I wrote it. I didn’t want the message to be discounted as a self-promotion electioneering exercise, which it may well have been if my name had been included.)