As Fi Bows to Peer Pressure

I’m going to cheat on this one and re-post an article I posted after the last New Zealand General Election in 2005. We’re now three weeks away from the next election my Kiwi friends and it’s time to think seriously about who you’re going to vote for. Please make educated votes and think about others at this election.  So here goes my lobbying attempt:

[Written in October 2005] 

I have been wanted to write this since the election and finally now seems right.

But before I do, I want you to take one minute of your time to say a prayer to whoever you believe in, for the familes and friends of the thousands of people that died in Pakistan and Guatemala in the past couple of days. While you’re at it, consider the families of those that didn’t make it out of New Orleans, those who will never forget July 7, and those who died in the Asian Tsunami last December. Finally spare one thought for those 20,000 people that die from the effects of living in extreme poverty (7,500 young adults die of AIDS, up to 8,000 children perish from malaria, 5,000 parents die of tuberculosis, and thousands more are killed by diseases that attack bodies weakened by chronic hunger and malnutrition). It’s a fragile world.

Now I’m going to use this to fuel an angry rant, and I’m sorry if using this as a springboard offends anyone but it’s important . . . so important that peoples lives depend on it.

So we just had an election here in New Zealand, and 80% of the country voted. I know a whole heap of people who voted specific parties for great reasons, they truly believed in a party’s vision or they offered a range of policies that these people saw as important. Unfortunately, I’ve also met many more people who voted one party for a terrible reason. So you wanted to change the government and you thought ‘National’s the only way to do that and taxcuts would be good too’, so you ticked that box and went on your merry way. Or you voted Labour just ’cause they’ll cut interest on student loans”. If you voted for a party for some pathetic reason like this, then I’m sorry but you suck!! This rant is for you:

Today, we emptied our disaster relief budget, it’s all gone now because there’s been quite a few disasters lately (have you bothered to notice?) and it wasn’t the biggest budget either. Every year 0.26ish% of our Gross National Income is given to ALL aid. A very small part of that goes on giving some assistance to countries who are recovering from a natural disaster, like Pakistan and Guatemala currently. The Government pledged to give 0.7% to aid, 0.26% isn’t even half of that. We’ve run out of money to give to help countries that need help in disasters. Is this not more important than the interest on your student loan? A number of parties pledged to keep pushing the government to increase its aid volume, Greens and United Future were just two of those. But instead of thinking about what the world needs, you thought about you on election day. Maybe you considered your family for a brief second, and then went with what suited you best. Think silly people! Actually know who you are voting for, and consider making up your mind on something other than a bribe. New Zealand plays a crucial role internationally, and even though it’s a world away from here to there, they’re just as important as you.

For those voters who actually thought unselfishly this election - you are truly fantastic people. We need more of you.

If a typhoon hit a Pacific island tomorrow, there’d be no more aid to give them. How much would their lives mean to you?

For more information on the 2008 Election and international development, go to Oxfam NZ’s website.