Latest news with #CeliaWadeBrown
Scoop
6 days ago
- Politics
- Scoop
Govt's Electoral Reform Weakens Democracy
The Government is weakening our democracy by restricting voting rights and making it easier for the wealthy to donate to political campaigns under the cover of anonymity. 'These changes represent a dark day for our democracy,' says the Green Party's spokesperson for Democracy and Electoral Reform, Celia Wade Brown. 'What we do with our democracy matters; who we shut out and who we afford special privileges shapes the decisions made in Parliament and the direction this country is taken in. 'Requiring enrolments before voting starts will see even more people miss out from expressing their democratic right. In the last General Election, over 200,000 people enrolled to vote or updated their details in the last 12 days. These changes would see all of these people miss out on having their say. 'We are deeply concerned to see the prisoner voting ban brought back. The Supreme Court and the Waitangi Tribunal have both been clear that blocking people from prison from voting is a breach of their fundamental rights. 'While the Government has taken away votes from people in prison and made it harder to vote in general, it has made it easier for wealthy people to donate to political parties from the shadows by raising the disclosure threshold to $6,000. 'Big money in politics is a problem for our democracy, but something that benefits the coalition, which might explain the decision to allow the wealthy to donate more money anonymously. 'A Green Government will restore the right to vote for all New Zealanders, restore same-day enrolment, and keep big money out of politics by reforming election funding in line with the recommendations of the Independent Electoral Review.
Scoop
17-07-2025
- Politics
- Scoop
Greens Call For NZ Govt To Take UK's Lead And Lower Voting Age
The Green Party is calling on the Government to follow the lead of the United Kingdom and lower the voting age to 16. 'We are calling on the New Zealand Government to follow in the footsteps of the United Kingdom and lower the voting age to 16,' says the Green Party's spokesperson for Democracy and Electoral Reform, Celia Wade Brown. 'Young people deserve to have a say in the decisions that affect their future. The choices we make today will determine the burden future generations carry. It is only fair that the voices of these generations have a say. 'Aotearoa was a world leader in being the first country in the world where women gained the vote, but we are falling behind the pack when it comes to giving this right to youth. 'The Supreme Court in Aotearoa has already ruled that denying 16 and 17-year-olds the right to vote is a breach of their human rights. 'The Independent Electoral Review into the 2023 General Election recommended lowering the voting age and the Green Party agreed, but the coalition-dominated Select Committee rejected this sensible step. We heard that starting voting at 16 means a higher turnout continues. This is critical for our democracy, for both central and local government elections. 'Just this month, we heard loud and clear from youth MPs that it's time to lower the voting age to 16. Our youth care about our future, they care about this country, and they want to be involved in making New Zealand a better place. 'Christopher Luxon can begin to show he cares about democracy by demonstrating some leadership and lowering the voting age. This is a decision in his Government's hands and one we can make now,' says Celia Wade Brown.
