Gotta Vote!

Article appeared in Challenge Weekly

Can anybody tell it’s election time? It’s pretty obvious with all the mud that’s splattered across the front pages of our national newspapers. But, despite all that, I hope every person reading this column knows that we should all vote on Election Day. This is what democracy is all about.

I know that the reality is a lot of Kiwi voters simply don’t know the person behind the politician they’re voting for.

Too often, too many people base their vote on great-sounding principles, and are then surprised when we don’t get what we really wanted or expected.

And the truth is, at the end of the day, that with so many issues now being conscience votes in Parliament, we really need to know views of our political candidates on the issues affecting us and our families.

Sometimes I think that we are more careful about making sure we know what’s in the cereal we’re eating than we are about who the people are to whom we givelicence to run our country.

We must stop being sucked in by the principles that are being spouted. While cutting taxes, creating affordable housing and shortening hospital waiting lists all sound pretty good, the secret to a decent Government lies in rock-solid policies.

Take a look at some of the policies of the parties, along with the voting records of our politicians, and you may be a bit surprised about what your vote is really doing.

The voting records of our politicians reflect their world views – maybe they are great at leading the country, but are they pro-life? What’s their take on the definition of marriage and family? And how do they stand on matters of faith? What does your local MP really think about Prostitution, Civil Unions or the smacking Bill? How did they vote on issues of conscience?

It’s true that at the end of the day there’ll never be a perfect politician. But, as one commentator put it, “How much that is good will be protected by party A as opposed to party B?”

I think that this nation is on a slippery slope where social issues and the family are concerned. We must be informed, because our vote will actually help shape the agenda and direction of the country in which our children are growing up

By Tim Sisarich

Executive Director, Focus on the Family (NZ)