WHO VOTED THESE FOOLS IN? ....

... Oh!

I read on Scoop news that more than 1 million eligible voters did not vote in the 2023 New Zealand elections.

What's wrong with these idiots? Or, I should ask "what's wrong with most of these people?" given that there will be a small percentage who are very aged, infirm or congenitally impaired.*

The information came from a Conservative Party press release but I assume even those idiots can read and interpret statistics.

New Zealand is a stable democratic country that is proud to have used this democracy to pass ground-breaking social justice, educational, health, environmental protection and other forms of advanced legislation and personal freedoms.

In 2023 however nearly 1.2 million people eligible to vote did not do so.

In this country voting is a right not just a privilege and, more than theoretically, eligible citizens can help to influence the political, social and economic direction that the country goes in.

"Elections determine who forms government, how public money is spent, what laws are enacted, and the priorities of national policy. Decisions affecting housing, healthcare, education, employment, taxation, law and order, infrastructure, and social services are all shaped by those elected to Parliament. When people choose not to vote, they effectively leave these decisions to others. Every non-voter increases the relative influence of those who do participate.

Based on current Electoral Commission estimates of approximately 4.05 million eligible voters, a political party seeking to enter Parliament under New Zealand's MMP system would need support equivalent to approximately 202,500 voters to achieve the 5 percent party vote threshold."

          Scoop 15 June 2026, Conservative Party press release.

It's easy to see why the Conservative Party is making noises about this as, being a party outside of Parliament, the million potential voters are an opportunity for them to pass the 5% threshold given that they would only need one in six of those votes.

For once I agree with them. Not their policies obviously as they are a far right bunch of arseholes now pretending to be centrist  (if they really were centrist they would be either the National Party or the right-leaning parts of the Labour Party). I just agree that if a fair proportion of the non-voting million plus New Zealanders bothered to use their democratic rights then the things that they bitch and moan about might get improved and legislated with either a more powerful ruling government or coalition or some more voices to be heard in Parliament who might listen to their bitching and moaning.

Sheesh!

* Hutt Valley South electors are now allowed to vote.