Hi, I just wanted to post this.
Submission on Electoral Amendment Bill
Submissions close at 1pm on Thursday 11 September 2025
Hot off the press. And before time even!
Here’s a link if you are tempted. It’s not hard. I could have said less.
YES I have an issue with saying less about this government. Remember McKinleyRd Creatives is about it being okay to be different. Being okay to disagree and not polarise. I am glad you might disagree. And you could make a contrary submission!
This is my noise, my submission.
Namaste
Graham
My name is Graham Hughes.
I am 68 and a retired primary school teacher.
I live in Whangarei, with my wife Tracey who is employed within education in Aotearoa within the RTLB service.
We live with a Golden Retriever and a Corgi, while I submit as an individual, I would have to say the concern with this governments actions across the board exists at pretty high levels in our house. Dogs included.
Contrary to election slogans, and how this ACT led government is implementing neo liberal ideology as policy at will eg RSB, we do not, I DO NOT think that we are moving forwards, or getting back onto any track that is good for this country. We were on a solid and good path. Not perfect, but better than this current coalition fiasco.
We are going in the wrong direction, and a very retrograde direction, obvious within this and many bills before the house and being passed with less than democratic scrutiny and due process. You have to wonder why?????
I am deeply concerned about how this bill will change the accessabilty for voters to have a say in the running of their country.
I emphasise 'their'. Sometimes this government acts like it is theirs, excluding normal mere mortal kiwis from the process and decisions made impacting them. Seeing them as politically expedient.
Such is this Electoral Amendment Bill.
Not everyone has their lives together enough for a government to say you must be enrolled by xyz time.
I struggle to get life admin things like that sorted (being on the roll)..........and while I am not sorted like our dear PM, Chris Luxon, within the hierarchy of needs, I am not so consumed by survival and feeding my children, having a healthy home, being able to pay rent or my bills, that things like getting on the electoral roll on time becomes a major on your to do list.
When your existence is focused on survival............like getting a loaf of bread for dinner..........the electoral roll and political concerns fade into a privileged space.
That is not how it should be, and I as a Kiwi have a huge amount of empathy for people that do things last minute, that life gets in the way of doing things within time frames or the due dates.
People, all people must be encouraged to vote rather than be penalised for what might be something that makes it harder for them to participate in.
There is ample evidence as to which way the late enrolments and votes swing, and it's not in the direction that supports the current right wing neoliberal driven coalition government in Aotearoa.
OF COURSE they want to stop late enrolments and votes because they (the current government) know that the minorities and ethnicities that do enrol late to vote..............these are NOT the people their policies or actions are helping make peoples lives better...........and usually vote against them.
This is the move of a weak and threatened government.
A very Trumpian move dare I say!
This is a subtle and cynical kiwi styled 'gerrymandering' move that ultimately changes election results and outcomes, in favour or the incumbent government.
This legislation will not make it easier for the broad spectrum of kiwis to vote....................it will make it harder for people to have a say.
Furthermore the changes around donation transparency threaten New Zealand becoming more of a place where the rich buy political favours thru party donations. Very third world, very oligarch friendly.
THIS current government has made this very visible and obvious as never before in New Zealand’s history. It is disgusting and blatant...................I say again, disgusting and blatant.......across tobacco legislation, the gun laws, fisheries, ………………environmental protections, it must stop.
I doubt our honest free of corruption political status within the global picture is as pristine as it used to be since this government came into power. This legislation deepens that murky perception.
Shameful.
There needs to be more transparency and accountability with donations and money related to political support and lobbying. I find it a tad embarrassing as a Kiwi.
My third bone of contention is around taking away voting rights from prisoners.
I so know that some sectors of the population and the voter base for this populist and discriminatory government that will LOVE this legislation regarding punishing people in prison...........the view will be punitive, that 'they deserve nothing for their crimes’, that punishment changes lives.
I personally can't imagine anything more restorative or redemptive than being able to vote, to be trusted in the act of participating in your countries democracy.................and being seen as a valued mind, a person with a brain and a right to vote.
I find this government very focused on this kind of punitive mindset, in this issue and others outside this legislation.
I whole heartedly and for the good reasons outlined above, I oppose this bill 100%.
This will be reiterated below.
Recommendations.
I would be keen to see the following recommendations considered and implemented.
Electoral review is not new.
I would love to see the recommendations from the 2023 Independent Electoral Review implemented, such as:
Increasing donation disclosure requirements
Capping donations and limiting donors to registered voters (not corporations)
Lowering the voting age to 16
Restoring voting rights to all people in prison.
Make it easier for people to vote, not harder.
These above implemented would be positive moves towards electoral reform.
I feel this strongly. This is a government not to be trusted.
I hope I am proved wrong, our house hopes we are proved wrong.
I oppose this Electoral Amendment Bill totally and emphatically.
It is a backward move for this country we love so much.
There has been too much backwards put out there as forwards. It is not!
Thank you for this opportunity to participate in the democracy of our country.
Graham Hughes
Wed 10th September 2025
Non robot kiwi.
End of my submission.
Online submission complete
Justice Committee
Electoral Amendment Bill
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Love the new flag, Graham.
I submitted today too - fairly briefly. Less time for someone like me with mobility issues to be able to get to a polling station is just making my life more difficult.
I don't want people having finished their sentence in prison to have even less of a stake in society than they have now when it is SO hard being an ex-prisoner. It's petty, it's vengeful and it's punitive.
Keep fighting the good fight Graham. Great work mate. 👍👏😁