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The software utility, eVote and the eVote clerk, injects true democracy and deliberation into our real-world landscape.

Saturday, January 31, 2009

Candidate Kick Off

Wednesday, January 28, 2009

Great song: Vote

Check out the song, Vote, by Emma's Revoluation.

We're not done. You're fired.

http://www.myspace.com/emmasrevolutionfans

Sunday, January 25, 2009

From one of my adopted home towns, Christchurch, NZ

With MMP having now proven the principle of proportional representation in Parliament, "where is it at local level?" we may well ask. The time is right to Have Your Say.

Christchurch City Council, to great credit, currently has its "Representation Review For the 2010 Local Authority Election" open for consultation, until Monday 9th of February 2009 - http://www.ccc.govt.nz/HaveYourSay/ConsultationView.aspx?ConsultId=573#CompleteDescription

This is a very important opportunity to express your views to the City Council, in that the results are binding for the next two local body elections in 2010 and 2013 (fixed for six whole years!) A number of electoral issues are covered by the proposal, such as ward boundaries etc, and voting system. If there are many amongst us who have read the international literature, and know Single Transferable Vote to be an even better electoral system than MMP or FPP, then now is the time to say so, clearly.

First Past the Post (FPP) is the status quo, but STV has long been established in parts of government throughout Australasia. Indeed, given that a legal challenge to Hutt City Council at the start of the current decade saw the Local Electoral Act and Local Government Act - and last year the Local Government Commission - weigh in firmly on the side of STV, we could also ask "Where is the progress?" ... That goes for every FPP council, and the confusing, mixed-system ballot paper they would seek to reproduce from 2007.

Don't let this all-influencing electoral reform issue fall through the action gap between Christmas and Waitangi, as the legislation also guides. Help create a fairer, more representative local democracy, by submitting promptly to the City Council's welcome consultation process, as best you can. They will form a response.

For some detailed relevant extracts and research links, see http://www.infohelp.co.nz/stv.html

STV's day in Christchurch is surely here. Stand up for equity - stand up for STV.

Kia ora, Rik


Richard Tindall
Cashmere, South Christchurch , O-Tautahi
Info about Rik Tindall: http://forums.e-democracy.org/p/riktindall