Post by @zeborah@mastodon.nz

Okay so I just emailed the two Chrises to say, paraphrased, "Hey guys, not what I'd have chosen either but there is actually a really clear mandate here for a coalition of the centre. Like, instead of governing NZ in alternating terms and undoing each other's work all the time, maybe just work together for once and do the job properly? Also it'd save weeks of economic uncertainty. At least have a chat about it?"

I don't seriously expect them to listen... but honestly I think they should. All this "New Zealand is divided" rhetoric is nonsense, the votes have fallen in a perfectly normal distribution, it's just centred on the centre instead of on the left or the right.

#NZpol

#nzpol

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schweerelos

@schweerelos@mastodon.nz 13 min. ago

@zeborah yes! If this was Germany (with the exact same electoral system) they’d be having grand coalition talks right this minute. As an aside, nobody there seems to get hung up about “vote splitting” either, it’s just a normal thing to do - though I’d definitely support a switch to STV for electorate votes.

Matt Willis

@mattwillis@hachyderm.io 31 min. ago

@zeborah First of all, I love this. Well done.

That said, the idea that it could happen is a fantasy, because the parties have polar opposite views about how to govern and what should be done. You can't really reconcile "raise taxes and invest in public goods and services" with "remove taxes, privatise everything, and hope for the best". It's like oil and water or chalk and cheese.

Zeborah

@zeborah@mastodon.nz 17 min. ago

@mattwillis I agree it's a fantasy, and that's because they *believe* they are (and/or promote themselves as) polar opposites.

But they're not *actually* polar opposites. There are lots of things they agree on which you can see in the voting record, and both of them are always promising no new taxes and increased funding to health and education. They aren't purists on those ideological summaries (even Act and the Greens aren't) and compromise all the time when it makes sense or when it's politically useful. They absolutely could work together if they wanted to. It's just that "if" is doing some heavy lifting because each of them will be hoping the special votes fall their way.

ben dafydd gillard

@benchaotica@mastodon.nz 33 min. ago

@zeborah it's worth a crack. Luxon wouldn't have to break any promises i think. And they're not all that far apart. Most nats unlikely to be looking forward to act + nzf.

Zeborah

@zeborah@mastodon.nz 32 min. ago

@benchaotica At some point one or both of them ruled each other out but whatever, we all know most of the ruling-X-out is posturing for the polls.