If we do not trust open democratic elections to provide adequate representation for minority groups, then why don't we also have separate seats for Asians, women, Muslims, Fundamentalist Christians, old people, young people, computer nerds, and so forth? The absurdity of it becomes more obvious then, of course. But exclusive focus on ethnicity fails to recognize the multiplicity of each unique individual, and the many group "identities" under which they could potentially be subsumed.
Further, such segregation is antithetical to the ideal of integration that I have previously argued we should aim at. As David Farrar writes:
Dividing even more electors up on the basis of race is appalling... Labour's legislation moves NZ to a Fiji style country where racial quotas are enshrined. It is not the future I want for NZ.
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Race is an arbitrary way of grouping people, but so is geographical location, which is the current alternative.
ReplyDeleteYour objections to race based representation also apply to location-based representation.
The main disadvantages of race-based electorates are that race-based measures have been used by bad people in the past, and that an MP for a limited geographical area can deal with his constituents more easily.
The advantage is that it allows people to choose how they are represented.
I would have no problem with allowing people to choose their own electorate groupings on any criteria they choose, expect that it would be logistically difficult.
Sock thief,
ReplyDeleteI accept your argument but I think that acting as if somthing is true helps to make it true.
for example if we act as if maori and Europeans are different and give them different voting rights or whatever it will forever make those two groups different. This will mean there will always be this problem.
That is acceptable if it is the best of a set of bad options but I dont think it is. I think NZ is more than capable of treating peopel equally regardless of their ancestory. If you want to right a wrong then do it on a case by case basis, or based on current situation - not collectively and based on race - otherwise you will benefit the wrong people as well as the right ones.
regardless of all of this I think future NZders (less caucasian) will find it hard to accept that maori have special rights sicne htey wont identify with the "abusers" anyway.
You are right in theory.
ReplyDeleteStill - it was not all that long ago that I thought we were fairly close to social harmony (Of course I was pretty young then).
and then we had a long drawn out treaty resolution process and had a hikoi and a foreshore debate, and created a maori party. All these attempts to solve problems seem to only ignited the fire.
GNZ