Alwyn Poole: Why governing for the whole nation – and respect for every voter – counts.

The vote of an 18 year old deliquent in New Zealand is as important as that of Willy Apiata.

Anyone who wants to be in government and succeed in their ministerial portfolios needs to respect every voter and all of those who cannot vote – primarily children.

It is an easy avenue for supporters of a political party to denigrate the supporters of their opponents. The most famous in recent times would be the comments of Hillary Clinton when she stated that “half” of Donald Trump’s supporters could be placed in a “basket of deplorables”.

Even on this site esteemed people diminish supporters of opposition parties as being of lower intelligence, knowledge, etc. It does not help in any way. You have to respect every person/voter.

In the latest IPSOS poll Labour was shown to be more trusted on a significant majority of issues. I.e. Labour are ahead on:

• Inflation/cost of living.
• Healthcare/Hospitals
• The Economy (even with National)
• Housing.
• Unemployment
• Poverty/Inequality
• Drug & Alcohol Abuse
• Petrol Prices
• Education
• Immigration
• Household Debt
• Race Relations
• Transport
• Taxation
• Population

If National loses the election this year it is on them for doing a poor job and assuming that they would have two terms. It is also on their supporters for not holdiing them to account from the first minute – and for sending some of the Ministers up a garden path through the obsessions of their advisors.

Pointing at the opposition and their supporters is simply deflecting responsibility.

Alwyn Poole, a well-known figure in the New Zealand education system, he founded and was the head of Mt Hobson Middle School in Auckland for 18 years. This article was sourced HERE