The Labour party has hit the ground running with Jacinda Ardern. Not only has she shown immense capability as leader, the Labour party has clearly got its game on and returned to its core values, values that once made New Zealand a great place to live.
The National party on the other hand is looking a bit stale. Bill English has returned to a set of values that caused New Zealand's great decline on most international rankings. Surrounded only by people who parody his archaic belief system, the unelected PM has no real plan to make New Zealand a fair and decent society again.
However it's not just campaign styles where the two major parties differ, it's their policy direction for young people as well. Labour appears to have a more inclusive approach while National wants further discrimination and punitive measures imposed on the young.
Yesterday, the NZ Herald reported:
A good bit of positive social engineering right there folks, and apart from some whinging from the right wing trolls on twitter, it has received wide spread acclaim. But how does this progressive policy compare with National’s recent announcement.
On Sunday, Stuff reported:
This policy hasn’t gone down well, even among some in the National party. It’s been tried and failed before and appears to be nothing more than an appeal to National's core youth hating voters. Even the PM couldn’t get his argument straight, so it’s little wonder that it received widespread condemnation.
But what ideology will win out? The more inclusive top of the cliff one where Ardern is looking to empower young people by giving them the skills they need to survive independently, or the more punitive tough on crime one where the old man wants to send young people to boot camps to become better criminals while at the same time building more jail cells for them to live in?
The contrast between these policy directions couldn’t be greater, and both have serious ramifications for society long-term.
There is no question that the cost of the lock-em-up approach far outweighs implementing preventative measures earlier in a persons life. However it’s not just a financial cost that people should be considering when casting their vote this coming election.
The National party on the other hand is looking a bit stale. Bill English has returned to a set of values that caused New Zealand's great decline on most international rankings. Surrounded only by people who parody his archaic belief system, the unelected PM has no real plan to make New Zealand a fair and decent society again.
However it's not just campaign styles where the two major parties differ, it's their policy direction for young people as well. Labour appears to have a more inclusive approach while National wants further discrimination and punitive measures imposed on the young.
Yesterday, the NZ Herald reported:
Labour proposes free driving lessons for all students
All senior high-school students will be offered free driving lessons and driver's licence tests if Labour wins next month's election.
Labour's new leader Jacinda Ardern says the free lessons would be part of a $50 million-a-year "school leaver's toolkit" that would also include compulsory lessons in "civics" and options in budgeting, work experience and practical certificates such as first aid and hospitality.
A good bit of positive social engineering right there folks, and apart from some whinging from the right wing trolls on twitter, it has received wide spread acclaim. But how does this progressive policy compare with National’s recent announcement.
On Sunday, Stuff reported:
Special bootcamp for youth offenders at Waiouru army camp, under National
National is promising to create a new bootcamp for youth offenders at the Waiouru Army camp, training alongside New Zealand's soldiers.
Making the announcement in Auckland, Prime Minister Bill English said National would crack down on the most serious young offenders and hold "negligent parents" to account.
"It's become clear that there is a small group of around 150 very serious young offenders for whom our Youth Justice System in it's current form just doesn't work," English said.
This policy hasn’t gone down well, even among some in the National party. It’s been tried and failed before and appears to be nothing more than an appeal to National's core youth hating voters. Even the PM couldn’t get his argument straight, so it’s little wonder that it received widespread condemnation.
But what ideology will win out? The more inclusive top of the cliff one where Ardern is looking to empower young people by giving them the skills they need to survive independently, or the more punitive tough on crime one where the old man wants to send young people to boot camps to become better criminals while at the same time building more jail cells for them to live in?
The contrast between these policy directions couldn’t be greater, and both have serious ramifications for society long-term.
There is no question that the cost of the lock-em-up approach far outweighs implementing preventative measures earlier in a persons life. However it’s not just a financial cost that people should be considering when casting their vote this coming election.
