Gerry Eckhoff: Democracy unhinged

I guess the blame for the election result was inevitable. The left, who offer fact free opinion, lost the election by a big margin so it’s clearly the system and not the voters which is at fault. 

Really? 

Isn’t there an old adage about poor  workman who blames their tools?  

It is remarkable that even after the success and stability of countries where democracy recognizes and values the vote of very poor and the very rich in equal measure (India) there appears to a belief by the perpetually aggrieved that democracy no longer serves our collective purpose. If fault is to be found, It is not the concept of citizen control of democracy;  rather it is what is washed ashore by our system of representative democracy which is where the problems lays. 

The real question, easily identified, is whether or not representative democracy delivers the quality of people needed to govern and manage a multi-million/billion-dollar enterprise in an ever increasingly complex world. Wisdom, experience, knowledge, judgment may be old fashioned virtues yet are essential elements in sound public policy administration. Some still want 16 year olds to help govern us all. Those who oppose one person one vote are effectively saying they want free reign to change the system to one that better allows for those who believe they know best  to impose their will on the silent majority.

Readers will be aware of an organization (also critical of our democracy) called The World Economic Forum and chaired by the autocratic Klaus Schwab. That organization appears to want a UN styled organization – perhaps without its constant failures (see Ukraine and Gaza) so the template is all about authority and control by those who consider themselves to better understand what our needs are. Quote “You will own nothing, but you will be happy” under their new concept. A concept far closer to communism than democracy.

It is unlikely to be a coincidence that a new organization has surfaced in short order after it became clear the election in NZ was won by the centre right. One Helmut Modlik heads a new organization which he believes will save us all from ourselves. They call it -  Re: Shape.  Mr Modlik is currently CEO of Te Runanga Rangatira and who believes democracy in NZ is, well, old and  outdated. This organization would  appear to have strong philosophical links to the Co Governance movement and has attracted support from newby Wellington Mayor Tory Whanau. The Mayor of Central Otago Tim Cadogen also threw his personal support behind Re: Shape.  He did the same with Co governance but without the sign off from the people of the area he supposedly represents.  A question for these two mayors - who appear less than convinced by a system that elected them to office and leadership - is-why one person, one vote is not fit for the purpose anymore.  Exactly what other aspect of our democracy is fundamentally broken is unknown or worse, casually ignored in favour of  joining what a handful of fleeting players call Re: Shape. By all means let’s have a discussion but leave the vested interest administrators at home.

In recent years, we have as a country implemented MMP and lowered the voting age to 18. There is a real question as to whether MMP has delivered an enhanced democracy or whether  MMP is a false narrative of inclusivity, signifying nothing of value to democracy. We are now paying councillors and MPs a comfortable wage where keeping a seat of authority becomes an opportunity for a  lifelong occupation.  

It is noted that the appointed Local Government advisory group to review themselves was in itself no way democratic but was made up of local government insiders especially  appointed by a sympathetic Minister to review their own performance which hardly engenders confidence in the review.

Despite a vast opposition to the three water proposal  and co governance, this small Re: Shape group appears to disregard the wisdom of crowds in favour of their own limited understanding that the consequences of being wrong - actually matters. Mayor Cadogen speaks of short term populist policies as proof that we need a rethink yet fails to mention exactly what are the  policies to which he refers that are short term and popular.  That would be helpful, as, despite statements to the contrary - our water ways here in Otago are not heavily polluted - our health system is the best a 2^nd world country can afford. Our major problems are all as a result of public administration of education, health, social wellbeing. These are serious, identifiable problems and have been done so by the world famous “Dunedin study” some 50 years ago. Our representatives have stood by and just chattered, so it is not democracy that is the problem. It’s all the wrong people that fail to implement change when change  is needed.  Some just want to remain in positions of authority and have done for far too long. Locally, it’s not democracy’s fault that it cost two local men in Alexandra $640,000  just to seek permission from council to make their Earnscleugh homestead watertight. It’s very poor judgment by those in positions of authority.

So, it’s all about creating opportunity for more democracy to flourish, not diminish. It’s about genuine representative democracy hearing and understanding the needs of the people. It’s all about ceaseless vigilance to defend being free to choose who those people shall be.

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