Public submissions for changes to the MMP system are now open until the 31st May but the MacDoctor will not be bothering to make one. Besides my general laziness, there are two other reasons for this. The first is that the two most worthwhile changes – altering the number of seats in parliament and the [...]

When you think about it, democracy is really the tyranny of the majority. It is where the majority gets to impose it’s will on the minority, regardless of what is right or proper. This was made obvious to me in 1999 when Labour campaigned on introducing extra taxes for the “rich” (ostensibly to improve health), [...]

My previous post was designed to add some clarity to the issue of how John Key should respond to the massive “No” vote in the referendum. However, I note that there seems to be much confusion amongst politicians, the media and even in the blogosphere about the result. The Editorial in the Herald on Sunday ”Referenda [...]

Evidently, Sue Bradford thinks that an 87.6%  ”NO” majority in the smacking referendum is not a conclusive result. This morning Ms Bradford said not too much should be read into the result. “I would have a much greater respect for the referendum result if it was based on a clearer question,” she said. “The ‘YES’ [...]

I noticed that today the Herald weighed in on the “Yes” side of the referendum. They had a poll. They had graphs. They had a lone “No” opinion for “balance”. They had a touching testimony from a loving, well-adjusted family who had not used smacking in child-rearing for generations (Discipline without pain for 50 years [...]

Deborah Coddington holds forth on the referendum in the HoS today. Her vitriol illustrates two old myths that seem to be brought up every time this is discussed. Ms. Coddington ends her article with these words: Ten years ago I didn’t give much thought to Section 59. Then I wrote a story on the death [...]

Reader’s of this blog will know that I consider John Key to have substantially more ability and depth to him than is portrayed by Labour, the left-wing blogs or in the media. However, least you think I am a John Key Fan-boy, I vehemently disagree with him on his attitude to the anti-smacking referendum. In [...]