Not sure what you're saying, exactly: if you have anything more specific to offer, I'm interested.

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mmm... yeah theres never a guarantee of quality, but let's judge parties by their track record. EG I was impressed with how the Greens stuck to their guns on the GE debate- that's pretty good quality, and that should've increased voter confidence, as a lot of people took a chance on them last election without no guarantee on how they'd perform as a coallition partner i.e. caving in to centre-left or sticking it out.

Hohoho...

Green gun sticking... Bollocks man.
No Constitutional Change without Referendum, then Vote throughthe Supreme Court.
GE is now Bargainable/Negotiable.

This is not Hard and Fast, or couragoues.
Worse, there probably the best mob on offer...

BTW the last thing I want to do is make this forum about the Green Party specifically- I don't have the answers to a lot of my own questions, eg policy, candidates etc, and I'm the first to admit I have some homework to do. Point is I'm doing it- not sitting on my @rse complaining. Nothing changes unless we own the problem and do something about it.

OK: I've tried looking for a candidate list for Wellington central, but haven't found anything so far. Any pointers? When are electorate candidate lists published?

Maybe as MMP matures, more parties will end up 'specialising' - i.e. I wouldn't expect the Greenies to come up with viable economic policies, but I would expect in-depth environmental policy from them. And it's obvious that ACT don't have an interest in environmental policy outside of privitisation, but they do seem pre-occupied wth wconomic reform... If people could get used to voting for what's important to them rather than just 'backing the winner', then we're sure to end up with a more volatile government that ends up debating the issues we debate about ourselves. As someone said on another forum, 'stability is for pussies'.

foetusboy, you have been keeping some strange hours lately, you're up early!

//majors cos they're no more inventive, altruistic or beneficial to our country than any other party could potentially be//

but, christianity, they know how to govern, how to....do stuff. They make compromises that take account of the interests of a more that just one group of people, even if that's just to keep the centre ground, to appeal to middle nz.

the compromises they make are fucked and fuck all,
you're not seeing mmp
we don't need a huge majority parties N/L
we need a fuckload more compromise and more people represented
as you said, these people are rinsers with fuck all qualification thant their ideology
so it doesn't matter if the party is a one issue party
it'll represent people
better than a couple of big parties trying to cover everything

I think you're either extremely over-estimating MPs salaries, or under-estimating doctors salaries. A normal MP gets probably about the same as a GP, and quite a bit less than a specialist.

Also, for what it's worth, I think you're also underestimating the breadth of policies of some of the smaller parties. The Greens, The Alliance, and Act all have a surprisingly competent breadth of policy. Some of the other parties have fairly wide (but quite potty) policies. Winston First actually has a lot of fabulously incoherent policies from what I gather. The Green's policies are a little outside the square, but are at least based on some theory and research. Obviously, not everybody buys into the conclusions from the research and theory, but it at least appears to have a modicum of thought. The Alliance (it still exists below the radar somewhere) also have pretty comprehensive policies. A few years ago a survey of political parties environmental policies actually put the Alliance ahead of the Greens (before the Greens joined the Alliance), which is kind of ironic.

Well Comrade Rope ( and i like saying that, Workers Say Party Rock on), our brother R'dor dosent want too get it. He's clearly stating an informed decision/prognosis, that the Status Quo delivers enough stability that allows him enough now, and the promise of more later, to not advocate rocking the boat.

This is a fairly common poistion, and one totally in synch with those claiming any form of higher education, we know more, weve invested/gambled our time on the system, why risk it now?
It also indicates a happiness or contentment with others lot in "The system", or at very least an addmission that only through a continuation of current form can improvments be made.

A revealing line would be "You need GDP/Money to put food in your mouth".
At no stage have in my life have I eaten or fed my children money. Money is a by-product/mechanism of control, and the over-capatilisation of "life" is a continuing source of Misery and Frustration.
Its interesting to hear such things from a self-proclaimed "Evolutionary", that our current system is the high water mark for civilization, Im of the opinion that the worship of the Market is the modernday equivilant of the Caveman.

Just dont ask to borrow any of my Basses right?

"Wimpy Fence Sitter like Me".

I think your being a bit harsh on yourself there.
You've clearly thought through and prioritized "issues", thats hardly wimpy, or fence sitting Man.
Grow your own Food.

This should be near compulsory at School, me thinks. More important than Maths surely?

Paid Parental Leave as example of Worthless Lego.

Hooha, whilst the tag "Feminist" could hardly apply to the Old Foal, theres a serious Gender imbalance that Lalia Harres lego has attempted to address. Whilst the fundemental flaw is that a Man aint earning enough to support his Whanau, this is attempting to bridge some gaps in Societal imbalance.
Is it perfect, No. But it is a good try. Why should Woman lose out in the Capatilist State for foolishly breeding? Its... multifaceted.

Egilitarian Communism? Well human Nature would indicate that this is unlikely. You identify a major problem well, those People who fret about what everyone else is doing or not doing as the case may be. Few Solutions here, outside of Personal Responsibilty, and even in a "Perfect Order" thweres Cataclysmic Issues to account for...

This is not handwashing, Im still advocating the elimination of Hierarchal Structures,
ONCE IM IN CHARGE

nope.

to be sure, a valid observation limegreen.

screw taranaki they don't deserve the shield. i don't give a fuck if they've got eleven players on the shield and win with a full time penalty-scrum. that shit is just absentee-parentism, cast your votes otherways dickheads.

kill all parties
but don't kill the members.
slim those parties down
sim 'em into shape:
the tim cashmere accountancy party,
you see tim is not a great public speaker
he's ok, passable, bu nothing outstanding
but he's got a track-record managing the finanaces of some important clients
he's done well of them
he'd be the best thing for nouveau zeland
shall we take a look at his list?
janet sawyers=secretary
michael lane-business partner
sheryl dawkins-business admin
terry brookie-cleaner

these people run his business
and his b usiness is run well
for all intensive purpose they constitute his politica party
the tim cashmere accountancy party

they don' t do much
but they keep tim's workload ticking over just fine .
a vote for them is a vote for the best accountancy new zealand has to offer
accountability and patience
bringing us economic security for an indefinate period

do we have social policies?
blast your eyes son, we are an accountancy party
we limit ourselves to accounts
we are just 5 people of a 128 person government
but we will sort the accounts beyond doubt
etc etc

and you don't need some megolithic party trying to cover all bases
and they don' t need to have a policy for every agenda

rdor

because they're the accountancy party
that's all they give a whakarangi mai about

and noone holds centre stage,
but everyone's making deals to pass this or that piece of legislation
but the age of parties is over
cos parties are archaic shit
a meritocracy is the path to excellence
and excellence is what new zealand deserves

but will only gain
when it says fuck having a government
let s make those MPs and PMs work/negotiate/tade/deal/scam outside the safety of party mandates
and within the limitations of clear derestricted conscience
s

//meritocracy

I'm optimistic. Kiwis need to use their electorate vote more wisely. With a little effort you can find out for yourself who the 'padding' is, and vote for more vital & efficient representation in parliament.