Gerry Eckhoff: Political Deceptions

Political deception can engage the highest ideals of worth such as Operation Mincemeat during WW11 where the allies needed to deceive Nazi Germany that they intended to land an invasion force in Greece. Deception and diversion were essential for success back in the days of conflict.  

That should never be so in our domestic political world yet the motives and timing of inquiry into matters of public (dis) interest appear to have all the elements of a political illusion. The review of the “3 waters” legislation was yet another process which allowed for very little public scrutiny at the select committee hearings as local government dominated the process.  Public opinion was deftly deflected away from showing huge opposition to this particular issue.

The review of Electoral Law was a form of political deception. This particular review panel spent two years on what appears to be an “inhouse” review.  The terms of reference were such that most political parties would not agree to the terms of reference which begs the question of why this review was commissioned in the first place.

The terms of reference of the electoral reform inquiry were of course determined by the current government.  This interim report back has been presented just a few short months away from the Government’s own electoral D Day.  National, Act and NZ first and even Labour reacted in some degree of unison against the recommendations with the obvious exception of the Greens who see significant electoral advantage in youthful idealism. The Greens were very likely to have persuaded the Labour Government to hold such a review as part of a political trade-off.  The review was therefore a form of political deception right from the start - designed to advantage the Greens and deflect the voting public thoughts away from the real issues which most certainly are not electoral.  Just how lowering the voting age to sixteen (which is an arbitrary figure not backed by data) will magically lift the wellbeing of us all through being more inclusive of younger experiences of life is unclear.  It is reasonable to even suggest that 15 is a more inclusive age to receive the right to vote. Perhaps even 14 would ensure even greater inclusivity from a very early stage. Perhaps the same logic should apply to lowering the drinking age from 18 to 16.  Those who suggest such reforms really do need to be taken into intensive care for an extended period - if there were any beds available.  As a mere 36% of eligible voters cast their preference at the last Local Government election it is difficult to see how 16-year-olds will assist in solving the problem of voter disinterest when so many 18-year-olds don’t bother to vote.

In lowering the party vote threshold to 3.5%, the Electoral Review sees advantage in more representation in Parliament of those fringe parties and policy.  The reality is that 96.5% of the voters disapprove of these parties.  Recent history shows that we risk fringe parties or even just one doing backroom deals to hold the major party to ransom. The country’s wellbeing is dependent on good judgment not good will. Diversity in representation does not apply on the sports field so why in parliament or a council is it such an issue.  

Representation in Parliament is widespread as all existing political parties will have MPs who hold a wide range of values.  The very real threat of these electorally insignificant parties is their banding together to block vote and is highly likely as politics can make for some rather strange bedfellows as the lure of power will always entice a few rats to swim towards a sinking ship as Winston Churchill once observed. Our Parliament is secular (non-religious) yet there exist those religious groupings who would dispense with such an important requirement to impose their own value system.

As for the recommendation of a 4-year term of Government, history has shown that a government can in reality get a 6 or 9-year term with policies which resonate with the voters. In recent times National’s John Key lead for 6 years with Labour’s Helen Clarke before him with 9 consecutive years. There really isn’t a problem. The party with the most votes should always get to form the next Government even if they have to rely on some unfortunate, unstable amalgam of the unintended.  The terms of reference did not allow consideration of this sensible option.  Why was such an important issue not part of the terms of reference or was it yet again political deception?  

Many parents would say that it’s better to let our younger citizens gain some knowledge, wisdom and judgement before engaging in the weighty issues of the day. The problems we hear of, headlined daily, are clearly health, education, crime waves and the many causes of increased welfare and state dependency.  Successive Governments have studiously avoided the need to even start to transform our wider social and financial economy.  The answer is to be found at Otago University.

The stunningly successful Dunedin Multidisciplinary Health and Development Study (“Dunedin Study”) out of Otago University has identified how to alleviate socio/economic problems before they start, yet no political party has ever suggested that this study should form the basis of our welfare policy - as it definitely should.  For 50 years, data has been collated to find the cause and solutions for social decline. One aspect of this Dunedin Study - into anti-social behaviour - is now the most cited and influential study in the history of criminology.  Why then do we do not review the suitability of implementing this internationally applauded study rather than an academic review of electoral law that nobody other than a few 16 years olds are interested in. The public are being deliberately deceived by the continuous political calls for simply throwing more and more money at increasingly complex social problems. 

To quote the extraordinary Thomas Sowell “Since this is an era when many people are concerned about fairness and social justice, what is your fair share of what somebody else has worked for?”

Political deceptions increase in direct proportion to the loss of our democracy as politicians are generally the most reluctant defenders of our democracy and freedoms.

Gerry Eckhoff is a former councillor on the Otago Regional Council and MP.