A hell of a lot is riding on this election. A hell of a lot could change if we get a genuine change of government. A hell of a lot of policies near and dear to my heart could be implemented, or not, depending on how the votes fall.
And a hell of a lot of you have already voted so this post is coming a little late in the proceedings!
But what I’ll be thinking about, as I go to vote tomorrow (what can I say, I have a thing about the ritual of voting on election day proper) is the Pike River families.
I’ve written previously about my involvement in the Stand With Pike campaign. Biases on the table, and all that. And there’s a very clear choice before us: Labour, the Greens, New Zealand First, the Māori Party and United Future have all committed to re-entering the Pike River drift by the end of 2018 if they’re in the next government. Nick Smith called that “a stunt”. Nick Smith is a nasty little bully.
But there are broader questions at stake, too. Like, are we okay being the kind of country where 29 men die on the job, and no one is ever held properly accountable? Are we okay with politicians milking tragedy for sympathy and kudos then fighting every stage of the way not to learn the lessons of their deaths?
Do we say that people at work get to have a say in their own health and safety, or do we give Peter Talley a knighthood?
Do we value the lives of West Coast miners? Or are they just “ferals“?
Is justice for sale if you’re rich enough?
Do we put people first, or money?
It is no secret that I have my criticisms of Labour and the Greens, nor that I think a real opportunity has been missed, especially given the treatment of Metiria Turei, to build popular support for significant, real change in how our government operates. (This most excellent video by Jim Sterling makes every point I would on that general topic, but slightly shoutier, with way better graphics, and talking about video games, not nzpol.)
But in the next 24 hours we can make a material difference for the Pike River families. We can elect a government which will deliver them justice and closure. We can draw a line about what is and isn’t acceptable in our country, and build on that to deliver justice and fairness in the face of rampant corporate greed for everyone.
That’s what I’m going to vote for.
Stephanie Rodgers 