Election 2023: Stratford Mayor Neil Volzke on why general elections are fun to watch

Stratford district Mayor Neil Volzke was chair at a recent general election debate in Stratford. Photo / Alyssa Smith

OPINION

This may sound like a strange confession, but I love general elections.

I enjoy the cut and thrust, the accusations and denials, the drama, the embarrassing moments, the faux pas, the odd defector, and the sense of competition that drives it all. Regular and often misguided polls tell us the weekly score, followed by politicians’ comments that either endorse or dismiss the accuracy depending on how the poll reflects on their party. This adds fuel to the fire and seemingly normal people suddenly become combative gladiators. It’s hard not to get caught up in the general hype, much like a sporting contest.

But the stakes in this game are very high where winner takes all and if you lose, there is a three-year wait for a rematch. No wonder the candidates try so hard. If you had asked me 12 or 18 months ago, what would be the major issue of this election, I would have without hesitation, told you the Three Waters Reforms would have topped the list. How things have changed. This issue has barely drawn a comment during the current election campaign and probably wouldn’t make the top 10 list now. They say a week is a long time in politics.

I sense that for many the top of the list would now be the cost of living crisis. There is no doubt that this single issue is one that genuinely affects every person in this country and whoever ends up governing New Zealand for the next three years will have their work cut out fixing this single problem, but it must be done.

As mayor, I hear comments on an almost daily basis about the tough financial situations people find themselves in. It pains me to reflect on the fact that as an elected member of a council that in turn sets rates, we contribute in part to those rising costs that families face. Our explanation is that council operating costs have gone through the roof, but we also have services we must continue to provide and community expectations of service levels that grow relentlessly higher and higher. It is a no-win situation, because we are forever paying more dollars for less work.

Central government politicians have exactly the same dilemma, that is, doing more with less money. We all want better health services, better education opportunities, climate change initiatives, better roads and the like, but collectively we don’t want to pay any more for these things. So how do the politicians convince us they can address this? It’s simple really, they over-promise on a whole raft of vote-catching, aspirational policies that they hope will get them elected. Someone will win and if elected, they will manage to fulfil only some of their promises, which they will then trumpet loud and clear. On the less successful policies, they will downplay the importance and find plausible reasons why that happened.

There is of course a silver lining to every cloud, the consolation prize for losing the election is becoming the official opposition party. Here politicians can’t miss when it comes to policy promises because their policies will never get tested or put into practice. It’s like the armchair coach of the All Blacks whose team selections never take the field and therefore can never lose.

For us mere voters out there, despite all the doubts and confusions, we have a big decision to make. Which politicians and which party do we align with most comfortably and in what direction do we want New Zealand to be heading after October 14? My advice is to give it some genuine thought and don’t be suckered into the gamesmanship of the election campaign, which is set to go up a gear or two in the next few weeks.

Even if you think the election campaign is just an entertaining, circus-like farce or on the other hand a boring, frustrating waste of time, everyone is entitled to have an opinion.

Please have yours and make sure you vote.