Clive Bibby: The facts that should matter to voters

As a farmer whose survival has been for the last 46 years, dependant on prices received for the goods we produce, it frustrates me watching debates about which group of politicians can best manage the income we receive from the international markets on which those goods are sold.

And it matters not a tad if the Party leaders on show at the debate appear to be close relatives of either Genghis Khan or Darth Vader.

Surely the question that should be being asked of all voters is: “Which one is most worthy of your vote?”- NOT, “How much is your vote worth?”

Because, from where I sit, elections should be all about, “In whom should we place our trust? “But unfortunately, more often than not, the result is determined by which party is offering the biggest bribe and that is why our potential for planned sustainable growth that benefits all is almost never realised.

One could say that it is naive to even propose an idea that the nation might suddenly depart from the norm and share the vision of what we could become.

You see, it isn’t hard to visualise a country unique in its capacity to produce goods that are always in demand and at a price that enables us as producers to afford the society we want to live in.

It’s just that this utopian dream will always be beyond our reach if we keep squandering our hard earned income on ill-conceived projects promoted by politicians who are motivated by self-interest.

Because it follows - if we knowingly elect a group of politicians whose budgeted figures prove inadequate for covering the extravagant promises made on the campaign trail then who should we blame for the chaos that ensues when the proverbial hits the fan - our books go further in the red and by so doing, endanger our sovereignty?

It becomes a vicious cycle that sadly, has only one logical conclusion!

Some would say that it will take a civil war in our own country before voters are forced to focus on the things that really matter.

While I would hope it doesn’t come to that and even based on current trends, there appears no immediate statistical reason why it should - at some stage in the future, there will be a reckoning that has consequences, the medicine for which will be less palatable than had we taken it now.

So, what chance is there that this time voters might realise that destiny is in their own hands and be part of a movement that puts us back on a path to the promised land?

If we look back at the history of nations that laboured under the direction of “false prophets” for centuries until one day a leader of substance (eg. Martin Luther King) arose from their midst and shared a dream.

That dream required his followers to simply say “Enough!”

The point I am trying to make here is this: Surely anybody with half a brain is capable of working out that a continuation of this crazy, three yearly lolly scramble is unsustainable and, if it is allowed to continue, could have disastrous consequences especially for those less able to avoid it.

In all conscience, do any of us really want the blood of those innocents on our hands?

While I personally believe the options on offer and consequences of making self-interested choices are clear, unfortunately, there are others out there who may be persuaded their needs are greater than all the rest of us.

The irony is - that’s called Democracy!

Clive Bibby is a commentator, consultant, farmer and community leader, who now lives in Taranaki.