Politics at the Party
Illustration by Annick Harvey
Generally, talking politics at a party is a bit of a buzz kill. Not to say the conversations aren’t important to have, just a heated discussion on the state of our country backed by Mr 305 beats is an odd one. Aside from the saying ‘never discuss politics with friends’, I felt I couldn’t hold such a conversation if I wanted to. Politics in my mind are at a Game of Thrones level of intricacy. Yet, I am a little ashamed to say that I could rattle on about the Seven Kingdoms’ politics for longer, and in a concerning amount of detail, than our country’s. Trying to understand the intricacies makes my head hurt. I simply know very little in that regard, a fault that has rendered me silent during the politics conversation amongst my peers. As a disclaimer, it is not for the lack of care, nor is it for wilful ignorance, it is that I had no clue where to begin.
Up until recently, with the elections coming up, I hadn’t been all that engaged with politics. I don’t want to be seen as a complete idiot; I understand it’s important to be informed. Unlike GoT (excluding the 8th season), present politics and policies have a very real impact. I just have little understanding on the subject and I’m a little bit afraid to ask my peers for fear of embarrassment. I know I mustn’t be alone in this. I’ve only been eligible to vote for one election now so I expect that I can’t know everything, and politics is one of these things.
In an effort to become more informed, I’ve been looking into tools to get some unbiased information. I am by no means pushing any view, only ways to get those like me to feel like they can contribute to the discussion and not sit in uncomfortable silence. Of course, you don’t have to talk politics, I won’t make you, but it’s always good to know what’s going on, and to vote. I also won’t tell you who to vote for, that’s for you to decide. So, if you are clueless like I was, here are some of the places I visited to learn more about the parties currently partying.
I had been recommended to investigate Vote Compass (votecompass.tvnz.co.nz/nz2023). Even if you don’t know where you sit on all the topics you can still try out this tool. It asks you a series of questions to which you can respond on a scale of ‘much less’ to ‘much more’ or even ‘I don’t know.’ At the end of the quiz, you can see how you align with the parties. You can also go into each topic, such as education, public transport, and housing (to name a few) and see where each party sits. Very easy to use and I recommend as a starting point if you want to get a big picture view on the political standings. 4/5 stars.
Your friends and family: I get this maybe a bit contradictory to my earlier statements but the people who you surround yourself with may be able to help you. You don’t have to agree with each other, but peers in a similar situation could offer you some insight. You can discuss what is important to you, at the end of the day it is a decision about who will be representing you. 3.5/5 stars – did kinda kill the vibe but learnt a lot.
I also looked at Policy.nz. On the website, like vote compass, you can go into each issue topic and explore the stances of all the parties. Here you can get a simple overview of where the groups stand on issues that you are interested in learning more about. I get that this isn’t the most entertaining reading you’ll do, but it’s not excruciatingly boring. You can also select a party and read the who’s who. Putting some names to faces isn’t a bad idea either. If you think of it a little like the houses in Game of Thrones, it makes for a fun little challenge. 4.5/5 stars.
Tools like these make it a little easier to get your head around all the terms and ideas, without driving you mad and hopefully help you vote informed. Which to be honest, I’m glad for. You don’t have to study night and day to get a picture of what’s going on. There is no shame in admitting you are trying; this is what I’ve learnt. I don’t have the time to spend every minute learning about every nuance of the political climate. I simply don’t have the mental flexibility to cope with the weight of it all. I’ve found it draining and at times infuriating, but I do give a shit about what’s going to happen. So, no matter your current understanding or stance, try and get informed. Do some research, find where you sit, and don’t forget to vote.