The big difference in Germany is that the leader of the winning party is appointed Chancellor on election night. The Chancellor and his or her party then talk to the other parties elected and go about forming a government. In New Zealand for some silly reason we allow the tail to wag the dog. The largest party on election night waits for a call from a minor party.
If this was Germany, the National Party would now be inviting NZ First, the Greens, and Act into discussions with the aim of forming a Government. This is a sensible, logical and reasonable process. However, we allow the whole process to be in reverse and be held to ransom by a minor party.
Ian Marshall, Stonefields.
Weak Government wanted
The election night results gave National 58 seats from 46 per cent of the vote. Labour has 45 seats, NZ First 9, and the Greens 7. National, backed by certain commentators who ought to know better, are claiming their larger share gives them a moral, if not a constitutional, right to form a "strong, stable" Government. They are incorrect on both counts.
On the numbers, National is no better at mathematical logic than it was at the arithmetic by which it arrived at the non-existent $11 billion budget deficit. Given 46 per cent of people voted for National, it follows the 54 per cent should govern.
The reason New Zealand adopted proportional representation was to curb the unlimited power elected minorities could obtain in our parliamentary system. Its single chamber almost totally lacks checks and balances. In a sense, we voted for weaker government so the excesses of the Douglas (Lange) and Bolger-Shipley governments could never be repeated. Surely we have not forgotten so soon.
National is wrong. We do not at all want "strong, stable" Government dictated by the lobbies which back the political parties. We want thinking governments whose actions are limited by the tensions between several parties, none of which is dominant. Such governments may seem "weak" to Bill and Stephen because they prevent the convenient exercise of unbridled power, but isn't that the point?
John Reid, Tauranga.
Negative tallies
Here are some numbers for the negotiating parties to perhaps consider what we don't want when deciding how to put a Government together to please most of us: 54 per cent of voters don't want a National government, 64 per cent of voters don't want a Labour government, over 80 per cent of voters don't want any of the minor parties in Government.
John Kothe, Torbay.
Listen to the South
The North Korea crisis cannot be resolved by ramping up the threats and sending US B1-B Lancer bombers to fly along the east coast of North Korea. North Koreans have not forgotten the US bombing campaigns that devastated their towns and cities in the 1950s. Alexander Gillespie pins his hopes on ever-stronger sanctions, but this also seems a high stakes gamble and one likely to hurt the innocent.
South Korean President Moon Jae-in continues to call for a calmer approach and says Seoul is not seeking North Korea's collapse. He proffers the carrot that the international community is ready to help North Korea if it does the right thing. While President Trump insists on pouring oil on the fire, the South Korean leader still believes dialogue is possible between the divided halves of the peninsula. Nuclear-free New Zealand should listen to him - he represents the country most directly at risk.
Maire Leadbeater, Mt Albert.
Wooing Winston
Why on earth would Winston Peters want to form a Government with the National Party? What have they got to offer him? He has been Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister. They have dumped him at least once if not twice before.
And this election they did him in in Whangarei. Someone tried to stick him with the superannuation overpayments and some of the mud stuck.
He could have far more fun on the cross benches, lobbying for issues he supports, criticising legislation he objects to, backing Labour or Green Party issues if it suited.
Of course National could offer him a knighthood. Labour might also. But what I think he really wants is an offer, from Labour and the Greens, to form a coalition with himself as Prime Minister. What a great way to end a political career. And a knighthood in the New Year's honours.
Gillian Dance, Mount Albert.
Pora compensation
It is outrageous that Amy Adams, the interim Minister of Justice, has indicated the possibility her government is even considering appealing against the inflation adjustment for Teina Pora's compensation payment. The original decision by the National government was patently unfair and heartless, and I wonder why Adams chose after the election to announce this possible appeal.
Teina Pora has been a victim of police incompetence or worse, and it is thanks to the relentless activity of his supporters that the truth emerged. The costs of the appeals are no doubt far greater than any additional payment to Pora. A precedent needs to be set to pay fair compensation to other voiceless victims of the system.
Marion Howie, Epsom.
Post-election blues
Like Stephen Brown I too would like to know where my fellow compatriots are and what they are now doing that their values have changed so drastically. Where are the petitioners who stopped Manapouri being raised, who walked with me on the streets to stop the government of the day building a nuclear power station north of Auckland, and those wonderfully brave people who marched in support of the majority in South Africa when the Springboks visited our country.
And let's not forget the exciting march in support of the Homosexual Law Reform Bill.
There were so many days, weeks and months that went into developing a State of Aramoana with the time-consuming purchasing and painting of an old caravan, turning it into a travelling "bus", which stopped all over the country explaining what would happen to this wetland and its inhabitants if it was used for a smelter.
The commitment we had environmentally and socially worked and our actions were successful.
Emma Mackintosh, Milford.
Confused now
I watched the election and was left with a sense of confusion. We'd been told for months Kiwis were ready for change. Change to the rich versus poor gap, the rising homelessness, the ever-spiralling-out-of-control housing market, road congestion, poor wages, and so on. Yet the people didn't really want to change as with change comes some sort of sacrifice.
I was prepared for change. I and my husband work every hour of every day in paid work, at home, and voluntarily in our local communities, and I see nothing good that's come, or to come, out of the election. I didn't vote for the Greens, NZ First or National, I voted for change. I voted for the greater good. I am not sure now we are going to see any of it.
Claire Ashcroft, Te Atatu South.
Sprayed train
The recent hold up and spray paint attack of an Auckland train by a group of masked ninjas has worrying similarities to that of a terrorist attack. Of most concern is the blase, business-as-usual response to the incident by Auckland Transport and Transdev. This is the latest in a growing number of similar incidents. Train passengers like myself are being treated like hostages every time one of these graffiti attacks occurs.
AT's plans to remove the conductors off the trains and have drivers only beggars belief with these graffiti attacks occurring, along with the increasing vandalism, assaults, robberies, smoking, alcohol drinking and fare evasion.
A new railway police team is needed with fully sworn officers to randomly patrol Auckland's train system, as many other countries have, along with retaining the conductors to check tickets on all trains again, to address these issues and make Auckland's train system safe again.
R. Anderson, Pukekohe.
