All posts tagged petition

Labour’s bob each way CGT petitions just double barrelled contact harvesting

With the ease of setting up ‘petitions’ they have become a farce, none more so that Labour’s latest bob each way effort, two petitions with opposite questions.

Yes, I support a Capital Gains Tax

The independent group of experts our Government asked to review New Zealand’s tax system has released their final report. The Tax Working Group (TWG) found that our tax system is simple and efficient – but in some places, it’s unfair.

The TWG has recommended the introduction of a Capital Income Tax – sometimes called a Capital Gains Tax.

If introduced, it would mean people who make money from selling assets like rental properties or businesses would have to pay tax on their profits.

Do you support a Capital Gains Tax?

Alternatively, if you don’t support a Capital Gains Tax – sign here instead.

No, I oppose a Capital Gains Tax

That doesn’t even make sense.

The independent group of experts our Government asked to review New Zealand’s tax system has released their final report. The Tax Working Group (TWG) found that our tax system is simple and efficient – but in some places, it’s unfair.

The TWG has recommended the introduction of a Capital Income Tax – sometimes called a Capital Gains Tax.

If introduced, it would mean people who make money from selling assets like rental properties or businesses would have to pay tax on their profits.

Do you support a Capital Gains Tax?

Alternatively, if you do support a Capital Gains Tax – sign here instead.

What’s the point of this farce? They are trying to harvest names, phone numbers and email addresses, with a poor opt out option in fine print:

This is what they hope you won’t notice:

That’s not being open and transparent. It’s an unfair  attempt to deceive people into signing up to a contact list.

Petitions are pretty much stuffed as a means of people power, political parties have trashed the concept (it’s not just Labour doing it, but this is the first double barrelled farce that I’ve seen.

by Pete George on 11th March 2019  •  Permalink
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Posted by Pete George on 11th March 2019

https://yournz.org/2019/03/11/labours-bob-each-way-petitions-just-contact-harvesting-in-disguise/

More on Aotearoa New Zealand name recognition petition

Yesterdays post on the petition calling for renaming the country Aotearoa New Zealand – Should New Zealand also be called Aotearoa? – was done in a hurry and put up as something I though worth discussing. here is more information about it.

It was published on 23 May 2018 so has been going for some time. It has just received publicity via Facebook and NZ Herald. It is an official petition on the Parliamentary website:

Petition of Danny Tahau Jobe – Referendum to include Aotearoa in the official name of New Zealand

Published date: 23 May 2018

Petition request

That the House of Representatives pass legislation requiring a referendum, to be held during the term of the current Government, on whether the official name of New Zealand should change to include the name Aotearoa.

Petition reason

Official documents of national identity, birth & citizenship certificates, passports and money-notes have Aotearoa and New Zealand together as the names of the country. Only ‘New Zealand’ has official status. Both names together will officially confirm/enhance nationhood and uniqueness in the world.

Closing date: 28 Feb 2019 NZ Time

Number of signatures: 2345

As far as petitions go that’s not a lot of signatures.

A Facebook page Petition for Aotearoa New Zealand was started last June. It has been liked by 520 people and has 529 followers.

It includes this information showing how widely Aotearoaa is already shown alongside New Zealand.

Image may contain: bird and text

 

No photo description available.

No photo description available.

On country names and renaming:

Aotearoa New Zealand isn’t a long name!
Check these Country short and official names out, some will suprise you,
but first, heres three;

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
The Unitied States of America
The Federative Republic of Brazil
The Democratic Republic of Congo

Aotearoa New Zealand – not long at all.

http://www.fao.org/countryprofiles/iso3list/en/

Also, Country name changes, they happen more than you might think:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geographical_renaming

A petition run on Facebook. As of 29 January:

  • 52.4% want some form of change, Aotearoa to used in one form or another as a name of our Country
  • 47.4% want no change
    – 2,792 respondents.

Some  thoughts on the petition from Scott Hamilton:

I support the spirit of this petition, but I wonder its creators have thought through what they’re advocating. They want the name change to be a decolonising gesture, but it could lead to some strange & uncomfortable formulations & titles. Let me give two examples.

In addition to her various other titles, QE2 is officially known as the Queen of New Zealand. That sounds bad enough to my republican ears, but under the proposed name change, she’d ipso facto become Queen of Aotearoa New Zealand. Given the use of Aotearoa by anti-imperialists like Tawhiao, ruler of the Waikato Kingdom, in the 19th century (Tawhiao named his bank, for example, Te Peeke o Aotearoa, & used the name on his currency), allowing QE2 the title Queen of Aotearoa seems like a rather unfortunate move.

There’s also the fact that New Zealand is not just the name of a nation state, but of a rump Pacific empire. The Realm of New Zealand is defined as the entire area where the Queen of NZ is head of state – that includes Tokelau, Niue, the Cooks, & NZ-administered Antarctica.

Would it be any better, from the perspective of decolonisation, if the Realm of New Zealand, with its parcel of old colonies, became the Realm of Aotearoa New Zealand? The name wouldn’t seem any more representative, for Tokelauans, Cook Islanders, Niueans.

It’d be good to amend or abolish the name New Zealand, with its colonial history, but it seems hard to understand how such a change could make much sense except as part of a constitutional package that involved the ditching of the monarchy & a new r’ship with the Pacific.

As Scott suggests, I think that a name change won’t happen on it’s own. It is likely to be included in monarchy/republic and constitution discussions and possible changes.

I think that eventually New Zealand will be officially renamed as Aotearoa. I’d be happy for that to happen, but I don’t know if I will see it happen in my lifetime.

In the meantime Aotearoa and Aotearoa New Zealand are being increasingly used as alternatives, and I think this de facto change of name will continue to grow strength.

 

by Pete George on 31st January 2019  •  Permalink
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Posted by Pete George on 31st January 2019

https://yournz.org/2019/01/31/more-on-aotearoa-new-zealand-name-recognition-petition/

Should New Zealand also be called Aotearoa?

Comment from PartisanZ:

‘Should New Zealand also be called Aotearoa? Petition launched to add to country’s official name’ -NZHerald

https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12198014

“The Facebook post has received controversial comments, including how the referendum requested is similar to the flag change … Another questioned is if the petition was made to cause racial division.”

There’s definitely a showing on the FaceBook page from ‘The Right Brigade’ but the Herald overplays controversial and ascerbic comments in a classic piece of journalistic polarization.

Of course it should be called Aotearoa New Zealand …

Or should it be called Aotearoa instead of New Zealand?

by Pete George on 30th January 2019  •  Permalink
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Posted by Pete George on 30th January 2019

https://yournz.org/2019/01/30/should-new-zealand-also-be-called-aotearoa/

Look, another petition

Petitions used to be an important tool in the democratic process, but now they are so overused they are easily ignored but politicians (unless they want to use them as justification for something they want to do).

Petitions are becoming so common, and it is so easy to get online ‘signatures’, most of them are a waste of time apart from being a means of harvesting contact details from those who sign up to them.

 

by Pete George on 25th January 2019  •  Permalink
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Posted by Pete George on 25th January 2019

https://yournz.org/2019/01/25/look-another-petition/

Petition to ban fireworks “modernising our rules”

Green Party animal welfare spokesperson Gareth Hughes has accepted a the petition, Hughes said that the private sale of fireworks was dangerous.

Retweeted by Green co-leader @MaramaDavidson

I haven’t bought fireworks for a long time, possibly not in this century, so I have no personal interest in whether I can buy fireworks or not.

I’m aware of issues with personal harm risks and fire risks and adverse effects on pets and animals.

But I have concerns. ‘Modernising our rules’ is a euphemism for BAN – rules to restrict personal choice.

This is not the only fireworks petition on the go.

Petition of Chris Eichbaum – Cease retail sales of fireworks

Published date: 1 Nov 2018

Petition request

That the House of Representatives pass legislation to prohibit the retail sale of fireworks, and institute licensing arrangements for individuals or organisations to responsibly detonate fireworks in public displays approved by the relevant territorial local authority.

Petition reason

At present fireworks can be lawfully sold to any person over the age of 18 years. Accidents involving fireworks result in injuries to many, and to young people disproportionately. Domestic animals are often traumatised by fireworks and their retail sale is opposed by the NZ Veterinary Association that has repeatedly called for a ban. Legislation should facilitate public fireworks displays that are managed by licensed providers and approved by the relevant territorial local authority.

Also:

Petition of Melanie Lindstrom – Ban the private sale of fireworks and promote Matariki for public displays

Published date: 13 Nov 2018

Petition request

That the House of Representatives pass legislation banning the private sale of fireworks and urge the Government to promote Matariki, rather than Guy Fawkes, as a culturally significant occasion for public firework displays.

Petition reason

The private sale of fireworks at Guy Fawkes is a commercial enterprise that I believe harms New Zealand. We see distressed pets and wildlife, burn injuries, and multiple fire service callouts. We need to shake off our colonial overcoats and be more culturally responsive to our tangata whenua. Celebrating a failed gunpowder plot from England in 1605 makes no sense in 2018.

‘Guy Fawkes’ is not a ‘commercial enterprise’, it is an opportunity for free trade of goods for sale for entertainment purposes. There is very little celebration of the 1605 gunpowder plot in England.

Celebrating 2000 year old disputed history at Christmas makes no more sense, but some old traditions survive. An attempt to ban Christmas probably wouldn’t go down well (ditto Easter and even the recently adopted tradition Halloween).

But a good practical case can be made for moving fireworks use to Matariki, in the middle of winter when it is dark by 6 pm.  It is a long wait up for kids on 5 November with it not getting properly dark (in southern New Zealand at least) until 10 pm.

If fireworks are banned because they can cause harm what else could be petitioned? A ban on bikes, scooters and skateboards? Kids often get harmed when using them. Ban TV and computers and mobile phones? They have harmful effects.

by Pete George on 13th December 2018  •  Permalink
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Posted by Pete George on 13th December 2018

https://yournz.org/2018/12/13/petition-to-ban-fireworks-modernising-our-rules/

Right To Vote For All petition

The petition:

Right to Vote for All

Dear Hon. Andrew Little,

We are calling on the Government to enshrine voting rights for all people who are incarcerated.

In 2010 National MP Paul Quinn introduced a Member’s Bill to Parliament that saw the complete removal of voting rights for prisoners, regardless of how long the sentence. Since then, the Supreme Court has upheld the High Court’s ruling that limiting the right to vote for prisoners is a breach of the Bill of Rights, section 12(a).

Voting must belong to all of us for the health of our democracy, and removing basic rights should never be used as a means to punish people We are proud of Aotearoa New Zealand’s history – where people have successfully campaigned for the right to vote for all Māori and women. That legacy should not be thrown away lightly.

That’s why we are calling on the Government to amend the Electoral Act of 1993 and ensure that all New Zealanders are able to determine who represents them, and who makes the laws that govern them.

Why is this important?

We believe that in a fair and democratic society all members should have the right to vote, and people living in prisons are part of our society. They are valued members of communities and families. To take away their right to vote is an unfair disenfranchisement

We all expect that people in prison have the opportunity to heal and learn so they can contribute to a thriving society when they return to their communities. By not allowing people to vote while in prison, we are removing their ability to invest in and contribute to society and our democratic process. It’s cruel and counter-productive.

When Parliament changed the law in 2010 they used voting rights as a form of punishment, and this breaches the Bill of Rights. As New Zealanders we seek fairness and community. If we reinstate voting rights for people serving time in prison, it means that come next election time, thousands more people would be able to participate in our democracy, and put their ballot in the box as an investment in their – and our – futures.

We believe a thriving society requires the voices of all it’s people in order to make decisions that elevate everyone. By including everyone’s voices we can have a truly representative democracy.

by Pete George on 29th November 2018  •  Permalink
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Posted by Pete George on 29th November 2018

https://yournz.org/2018/11/29/right-to-vote-for-all-petition/

‘Axe the fuel tax’ petition just cynical politics

Another National barking at a passing (albeit more expensively fueled) car. This is a further devaluing of petitions that used to be a means of public pressure on governments. Weekly or monthly petitions render the democratic tool largely worthless.

Whenever I see a petition these days, if the political party or activist organisation behind it isn’t obvious I look to see who is doing it, and for what actual purpose.

Fuel taxes rose under the last National government. Fuel taxes have risen further under the current Labour-led government.

Adding to fuel pump fright now are increasing international prices of crude oil and the new Zealand exchange rate moving against imports.

National has already strongly and hypcocritically condemned the Government for adding additional taxes, and have now chosen to raise their opportunistic politicking further, launching a petition.

Axe the Tax

The Government is driving up the cost of petrol by imposing more and more new taxes on top of record petrol prices.

The average New Zealand household is now paying $200 a year more in petrol taxes than this time last year, with Auckland families paying $324 extra as a result of higher petrol prices and this Government’s decision to hike fuel taxes. It’s pricing Kiwis out of their cars and making it harder to get ahead.

This is not accurate. It is misleading.

They don’t say what ‘the average household’ equates too, but presumably means multiple cars per average household. I don’t have an average household.

We can’t be paying on average $200 a year on petrol taxes right now – sure i am paying higher prices every time I fill the tank, but it will take a year to to pay a year’s worth of taxes, nor what we will pay for fuel over the next year.

And the ‘$324 extra’ for Auckland families may be technically correct but in reality Auckland pays less per litre than many regions even with their additional regional tax.

It needs to stop. The Government should provide immediate relief to New Zealanders by cancelling the new fuel taxes it’s imposed and putting a stop to its plans to add more.

Add your name to stand with National and stop the new fuel taxes.

What this actually means is add your name and email address and phone number to National’s petition so they can add you to their political database. There is fine print at the bottom:

By adding your name, you agree to receive email updates from the National Party. Your contact details may be used to keep you up to date with other policies and local campaigns.

The petition is more a means of duping people into signing up to be pestered by direct political marketing.

Greens and Labour did this a lot when in opposition. National have done it before and this is simply a new attempt at harvesting contact information disguised as a petition.

As well as being hypocritical and blatant harvesting, this is ridiculous.

What Government is going to start taking off taxes when presented with a petition? It would be nuts to start reacting to every increase in costs by taking off taxes. What happens if the international price of oil increases further as predicted? Another petition to reduce taxes further?

Did National ever do anything this stupid?

I doubt it. Instead they have launched about as many petitions as the Government has inquiries.

If National win the next election will they reduce every tax that has increased under the current Government – and under the last government? Will they adjust taxes down every time the price of oil goes up or the NZ exchange rate goes down?

The way National have been using petitions they are just becoming more barking at each passing car.

The use of petitions as a political weapon and method of marketing has largely made petitions useless as a legitimate way of pressuring for change.

It has become ‘just another petition’, which is just another party posturing. Parties have largely taken over and trivialised what used to be one of the means of the public pressuring the Government.

by Pete George on 13th October 2018  •  Permalink
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Posted by Pete George on 13th October 2018

https://yournz.org/2018/10/13/axe-the-fuel-tax-petition-just-cynical-politics/

Government actively considering whether to decide on oil exploration

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern personally received a Greenpeace petition calling foe an end to oil exploration at Parliament today, and said that the Government was actively considering what to do, but didn’t give any more specifics.

Stuff:  Ardern says Government ‘actively considering’ call to end oil exploration

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has delayed attending a state visit to personally receive a Greenpeace petition calling for the end of oil exploration.

Greenpeace said the petition was signed by 45,000 people, including Dame Jane Campion, Taika Waititi and actor Lucy Lawless.

Greenpeace climate campaigner Kate Simcock said Ardern had won praise for describing climate change as New Zealand’s “nuclear free moment” but now had to put the words into action.

Standing in front of a series of posters of Labour leaders which had made high profile environmental decisions, Ardern said her Government was “actively considering” the issue.

Although her statement was light on details and Ardern has previously refused to rule out ending offering new exploration blocks, the decision to walk to the front of Parliament was highly symbolic.

“We’re working hard on this issue and we know that it’s one that we can’t afford to spend much time on,” Ardern said at the Greenpeace rally.

“But we are actively considering it now and we are considering all of these issues in mind and with this government’s pledge that we will be carbon neutral by 2050, that’s not in question.

“But these are the intermediate decisions that we have to make in between. So while I ask for time, I’m not asking for much. But just enough that we can make sure that we factor in everything that you would ask us to factor in,” Ardern said, including “grave environmental concerns”.

Which didn’t really say a lot, but Ardern has already walked back on this.

By 4pm Ardern appeared to walk back the comments, saying consideration of what to do with the process under which areas are offered for oil exploration was something that “every government does around this time of year”.

So they are “actively considering” something that “every government does around this time of year”

Ardern is going to have to start delivering on some of her implied support or she will disillusion people and groups.

 

by Pete George on 19th March 2018  •  Permalink
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Posted by Pete George on 19th March 2018

https://yournz.org/2018/03/19/government-actively-considering-whether-to-decide-on-oil-exploration/

National harvested email addresses via petitions

The National Party has apologised for using ‘issue’ petitions to harvest email addresses, then putting the respondents in their database and soliciting for donations.

This is not the first time a party has used petitions to build a contact database. Both Labour and Greens often used petitions and campaigns to gather contact information. They generally committed to just contacting people on the issue they had signed up for – I don’t know whether it went any further than that, or how long the contact data was retained.

This time it is National exposed for using bogus campaigns (petitions are usually of little ort no influence) to harvest contact data.

RNZ:  National apologises for mass database sign-up

The National Party has been forced to apologise to potentially thousands of people after accidentally signing them up to the party database.

Accidentally? Yeah, right.

People who signed up to join two petitions – against scrapping flights to Kāpiti Airport and one to save the Lumsden Maternity Centre in Southland – started also receiving emails from National asking for money to fight the government.

National would not say how many people were added to their database, but thousands signed signed the two petitions started by National MPs.

Neither petition stated that an email address would be added to the party’s mailing list.

Ms Dacombe is now hesitant to sign any more National sponsored petitions in the future.

“Not impressed. I signed the petition to support a local project, not for my email address to be used for another political purpose,” one person wrote.

Another woman said she “was seriously disgusted, & felt seriously insulted, when I received the begging letter from Simon Bridges”.

Another person said the petition was “just a way to collect data to bombard your inbox with National Party propaganda”.

This may be a big backfire for National – people generally don’t like being sucked in and then targeted by politicians.

I don’t think National’s excuses are credible. They tried an old trick and got found out. They deserve the bad publicity for their dishonesty.

Online petitions organised by political parties should be viewed with suspicion.

Two years ago, Labour had to defend its use of a “baby number” widget which offered people the chance to find out what number baby they are, in exchange for giving the party their email address.

That’s just one other example.

And it’s not just petitions obviously linked to an organisation – it is simple and I think probably common for proxy people or groups to be used to run petitions and online campaigns.

Dishonest political parties should be despised and avoided, but it’s hard to know who is the least dishonest when it comes to data gathering and campaigning.

by Pete George on 19th March 2018  •  Permalink
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Posted by Pete George on 19th March 2018

https://yournz.org/2018/03/19/national-harvested-email-addresses-via-petitions/

Anti-free speech litigation versus anti-free speech petition

Last week Bob Jones included some inflammatory comments in an NBR article. As a result of reaction NBR pulled the column and said they would no longer publish columns from Jones.

In reaction Renae Maihi started a petition asking that the Prime Minister strip Jones of his knighthood, calling the column ‘a vile racist rant’.

Stuff: Tens of thousands sign petition to strip Sir Bob Jones of his knighthood

Acclaimed film-maker Renae Maihi started the change.org petition on Thursday morning. “There is public support for this, somebody can’t get away with hate speech like that and not be held to account,” she said.

Maihi is upset by what Jones wrote in his regular National Business Review column last week, under the title ‘Time for a Troll’. He said a new public holiday should be introduced called Māori Gratitude Day instead of Waitangi Day.

“I have in mind a public holiday where Maoris bring us breakfast in bed or weed our gardens, wash & polish our cars & so on, out of gratitude for existing.” Jones also commented on children, blood quantum and suicide.

“I think he went beyond trolling, it’s hate speech,” Maihi said.

Maihi admits it’s unlikely Jones will lose his knighthood but will continue to collect signatures and approach the Prime Minister formally at a later date.

“He’s been honoured amongst a group of people that are meant to inspire and I just don’t think he’s very inspirational at all with those extreme racist comments. I just don’t think he deserves to be called a Sir anymore.”

Obviously Maihi had a right to criticise Jones, but I criticised her attempt to punish Jones for exercising his right to free speech. See Anti-Jones petition worse than inflammatory column.

Now Jones is threatening to punish Maihi for what she said about him through the courts.

Newshub: Sir Bob Jones threatens legal action against anti-racist petition

Sir Bob Jones has threatened legal action against filmmaker Renae Maihi, after she started a petition to have him stripped of his knighthood.

Sir Bob told RadioLIVE’s Ryan Bridge that his column was clearly satirical and he would sue Ms Maihi for defamation.

“For God’s sake, if anyone can take that literally, they’ve got serious problems,” he said. “It’s basically a mickey-take on issues of the day.

“I will be issuing proceedings against this woman for defamation, because I take particular exception when she uses the word ‘hate’. I don’t hate anyone.”

That seems like a heavy handed anti-free speech act that only someone with a lot of money could afford to do.

An over the top reaction to an over the top petition in reaction to over the top comments in a column.

Maihi remains staunch – for now: Film-maker stands her ground over petition against Sir Bob Jones

The woman behind a petition to strip Sir Bob Jones of his knighthood is standing her ground, despite the threat of being sued by the property magnate.

In a statement, Maihi told Fairfax she would not be taking down the petition, which had received more than 49,700 signatures by 5.40pm today.

“People like Bob Jones need to understand that the privilege they have in society also comes with a responsibility, and at a bare minimum that includes not writing flagrant hate speech in the media,” the statement reads.

Just yesterday she wrote on her Facebook page that she welcomed further support.

“Support welcome, I’ll need it – clearly he’s one of the wealthiest men in this country and I am not,” the post reads.

“I will always stand up for the mana of our children.”

A later update on the Facebook page showed she had been offered assistance from lawyers.

Sir Bob told One News earlier this week that the column was a “p*sstake” and that he took exception to it being called hate speech.

“I won’t sue her for a lot because that would seem like I’m bullying her,” he said.

Both he and Maihi are taking excessive action in response to the speech of others.

Perhaps Jones’ threat is just another piss-take.

by Pete George on 13th February 2018  •  Permalink
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Posted by Pete George on 13th February 2018

https://yournz.org/2018/02/13/anti-free-speech-litigation-versus-anti-free-speech-petition/

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