On Right versus Left

I understand why people could never vote Liberal. I could never vote Labor. The simple fact of that matter is both sides want to do good things for this country – the priorities are just in a different order. My main concern is that the Labor government has been repeatedly, wildly irresponsible with our money. I know for a lot of people same-sex marriage is the top priority, and I understand why. It is the only thing that has ever made me consider voting for the left side of things, because I don’t think you can be a thinking, feeling human in the 18-30 age bracket these days and not see same-sex marriage for the logical step that it is, as well as the right thing to do. I don’t at all like the fact that my chosen political party won’t get its arse into gear about it, even after the youth section of the party called for it, and a conservative government in New Zealand passed it.

 

 But Labor has done a bad job with this country. They just have. There’s a Scrooge McDuck sized ocean of money (with interest) we’ll have to pay just to get back to a nice, shiny $0. And I think anyone who has a household budget must understand why that matters.

 

I believe in things getting done. I believe in grand projects and ideas and doing great things for the country. I just want these things to be done properly, and to be done in ways that will ensure we have money to spend, rather than a debt to increase.  It’s the way I run my own life, albeit on a much larger scale.

 

In the lead-up to this election, which is probably going to be extremely tight, many people will feel a strong urge to yell. To scream what they believe, to denigrate the people who don’t agree with them. To those of us who are feeling like this, whatever your political persuasion, I beg of you, put away the bile. Discard the disrespect for people whose only crime is disagreeing with you. Leave the people who are genuinely undecided to make up their own mind. Goodness knows the rest of us have no plans of changing theirs. Let’s just get to September 7 with decency and dignity. We owe each other that much.