Votes should be weighed, not counted

Sad, sad, sad. Yet another cynical attempt to manipulate voters.

And I'm disappointed to see it coming from The Standard Team, they're better than that and have kept the negative campaigning to a tolerable level, while focusing on what really matters... what's actually coming out in terms of policy.

So why did they have to come out and call on Progressive Party supporters to cast their party vote for another party on the left and create an overhang? Because it will "help the Greens or Labour get another seat."

Highlighting the problems with the alternative, and a bit of negative campaigning never goes amiss, but this is plain wrong.

Manipulation of the electoral system is never a good option - that's why it was refreshing to see Maori Party co-leader Tariana Turia pushing their two-tick campaign. It minimises the overhang and makes it easier for the Maori Party to deal with either major party without alienating the majority of the electorate by wielding disproportionate power (the only person in this nation allowed to do that is Winston).

I hate to quote Brooke Howard-Smith from TV3's Target, but Standard team, shame on you.

PB.

The Day in Review Sept 25

- Pumpkin was reunited with nan today, and this was universally the biggest story among the broadcasters. Warm fuzzies all round (until you take into account that the Family Court will decide on whether or not nan can look after Pumpkin). The ongoing investigation got a lot of coverage too. I suppose when a story leads the networks in the States, we can follow their lead.
- Story number two (for the talkies) was the investigation into the death of a ten-month-old in Manurewa.
- Jim Anderton's lowering of the fishing quota got a lot of coverage (especially on the wireless), although 3 waited until no-one was tuned in before going wtih that story. Understandable, as Jim's hardly in their demographic. Smarmy Eric Young (over on Prime) pointed out that this was going to lead to job-losses. Smart man.
- 3 (and Prime) took the news that New Zealanders now outstripped Britons as the number one immigrants to Oz. John Key was appalled, because something has to be done to stop this braindrain caused by over-taxation in a heavily regulated environment propped up by a strong union movement.
- The new election boundaries were well-covered on the Wireless, but no-one shared the glee of Barry Soper on Prime (and Newstalk) when pointing out that it took the shifting boundaries to get rid of renegade Nat MP Brian Connell (or O'Connell if you're former 3 Political Editor Stephen Parker). Actually, I tell a lie; Bill English had a gleeful look when commenting on that story. Unsure if he had the same glee when Kris Faafoi rang him up for comment on the allegations by GayNZ.com that his son had been posting anti-gay messages on his Bebo site. (Good ol' muckraking at its best.)
- There was more of the same on the All Black jersey debacle, so I won't elaborate.
- Oh, and the PM opened a new prison, which according to prison guards who spoke to the wunderkind Jessie Peach is the most comfortable gaol in the country. It's going to fill up pretty quick too. And it's going to focus on rehabilitation.
- Close Up opened with a never-ending piece on sunblocks that don't do what they claim (and followed that with the new revolutionary cure to smoking; then that dress in the Christchurch Casino). Campbell opened up with his defence of the beauty of the female body, chatting to the icon of feminism in New Zealand, Christine Rankin (not a self-serving spotlight-hungry shrew as some would have us believe), on the right of Heather Simpson (not H2) to wear an evening gown in Christchurch Casino without being asked to leave. Christine mused on her own experience at the hands of the phallocentric bureacracy, wondering out loud if State Services Commissioner Dr. Mark Prebble had moved into the gaming business, along with his mysogyny. John followed this up with a shameless comparison to Nicky Watson, who readily admitted that she had never been turned away for wearing low-cut dresses. (Sorry, one of the afore-mentioned people gets my goat.)
- I was going to award TV One for an insipid half-hour today (I finally watched the entirety of Neil Waka's news at 4.30pm), but I gotta hand it to 3. A tweens' story AND Christine Rankin pontificating. Beautiful.
Good night.