MEDIA RELEASE
Not A Party
17 November 2016
What’s with the NAP?
Last week Not A Party (NAP) announced Richard Goode as their candidate in the Mt. Roskill by-election due to be held on Saturday 3 December. Since then the most commonly asked question has been, “What’s your agenda?”
Our agenda is straightforward. We are here to mobilise the non-vote in Aotearoa New Zealand. And to end the divisive guilt associated with not voting.
When asked if he was even serious about not voting, Goode said, “Yes, I am serious. Political jokes are not at all funny and I certainly don’t condone voting for them.”
The thought of not voting can come as a shock at first. But voting is not the holy grail of civic duty our decision makers would have us believe. Being allowed to be part of the decision making process every few years is nothing more than a Claytons involvement in politics.
Every election we are being persuaded to maintain the belief that not voting is a form of civil disobedience. But it isn’t even. In this country we cherish the democratic right to not vote.
“The insidious maligning of non-voters has gone on long enough,” says Goode. “And I say, stop it. If it helps, I will say this, and I’ll say it right to the cameras. Stop it.”
Ridiculous claims have been made. Goode refutes them thus:
# If you don’t vote you have no right to complain
“This is flat out wrong and back to front. If you vote, you are accepting the outcome of the election whoever wins and you have no reason to complain when your chosen party or candidate loses the personality contest.”
# People who don’t vote are apathetic
“How could this ever have happened?” Goode laughs. “Could it be that they’ve become disillusioned by past voting experiences? Apathy about the graciously provided three yearly opportunity to participate in the voting bonanza doesn’t mean people don’t care about the political direction of this country. It means they care enough not to validate the tyranny and oppression by voting for it.”
# A non vote is a vote for the other guy
“Really? Which other guy? If you do the math I think you’ll find that the people responsible for voting in [insert perceived enemy here] were the people that voted for them. Not the people that didn’t.”
“The gangs that run our country, whether they’re in power or waiting their turn, are having a fine time enjoying the baubles of office at everyone else’s expense.” Goode concludes, “It’s time to think about how we can put an end to unnecessary central government and run our own towns and communities without lavishing huge sums of money on these leeches.”
ENDS
http://www.nap.org.nz/whats-with-the-nap/
