orac

(This link probably won't stay up for too long - they don't seem to keep long-term archives, but I just had to share.)

http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/0,2106,...1a6242,00.html

We're having an election over here. The exclusive bretheren have just spent rather a large amount of money trying to smear the current government, as it turns out allegedly with the support and/or knowledge of the opposition.

(For the foreigners: the two chaps in the bus are the leader & deputy leader of the national party, who're feeling a little awkward about some of their friends and supporters just now.)

The_Martyred

Trust the bretherens to cost national the election

phrog

And you know? That kind of shit just doesn't happen here in Amerika.

orac

I dunno if it will - but it would be the icing on the cake if it did backfire that badly

Bright Life

Don't worry. I have it on divine authority that you kiwis will be Raptured before the election. That, or absolutely nothing will happen. Hard to say for sure. God works in mysterious ways.

Philos Epikoureios

"Christian Loonies" on a widely read political cartoon. That's worth a thousand. :thumbs:


That goes to show our freedom, that you can actually do that in America. Doh! New Zealand? Is that around New Jersey?

Ha ha ha ha!

tracer

For the benefit of those of us who live north of the Equator, what major political parties does New Zealand have?

The U.S. has the Democrats and the Republicans, and the U.K. has the Labor Party and the Tory Party -- but that's the extent of my international political knowledge.

NZSkep

I know this is a bit old now, but

Labour and National are the 2 main parties. Labour has actually won now, but only has something like 51 seats as opposed to nationals 49 (or something) so because we use an MMP system the other small parties (such as the Maori party, or the Green party) can basically side with who they want and that will mean whover gets the biggest coalition effectively controls the govt. I didn't vote (i'm not a citizen yet) but they all seem pretty much the same - labour seems less religious so would prob vote for them if I could

Hayden

Interestingly, the leaders of both of the major parties are atheist, or at least agnostic, IIRC.

HR

Thief of Time

National isn't really religious, just right wing. The brethren sided with them, I think, because of labours civil union bill. Although IIRC some national MP's voted for the bill, and some Labour MP's against.
There are a few minor religious parties, Destiny New Zealand (0.62% of the vote, or 14,210 votes) Christian Heritage NZ (2,821 votes, 0.12%) are the only two obviously religious parties. Religion really isn't much of an election issue, though (and a good thing, too)
Source:http://www.electionresults.org.nz/partystatus.html