Ethnic Based Party Holding Balance of Power?

[Zardnaar]

Long story short. 2020 Election Labour won the election outright in a proportional based system.

2022 the shine has worn off with multiple polls essentially showing the left/right divide more or less neck and neck. 59% on election night down to 44%, 46% for the right.

This means the Maori Party will control the balance of power. Current poll from reputable source.

Maori party holds the balance of power in August as a potential National/Act NZ (46%) coalition is just ahead of Labour/Greens (44%) - Roy Morgan Research

www.roymorgan.com

Anyway the Maori Party is on the 5% threshold for representation but they have several Maori seats Labour have the rest. Iirc there's 6 or 7/120 Maori seats they were leftover from the 19th century when we went proportional in 1996. Maori can stand on general seats (anyone can stand in Maori seats but good luck winning).

But the Maori Party on current polling controls who gets to form the next government. It's assumed they will support the left but they have coalitioned with the right before (and got decimated at the polls).

Anyway what are people's thoughts on an ethnic based Party controlling the balance of power? It's not impossible they go right vs left either. The right is polling close to historical highs.

 

[El_Machinae]

As long as nobody is forcing the individual to vote, if there's a close election you can always look at a specific cohort as the Swing Vote.

There's a little bit of fun to be had, becoming a king maker. We get that with our Green Party every once in awhile. It's not the worst thing, having a block. Either people woo the block specifically, which is what they want. Or you can lean on them as a guaranteed support, and then branch out to find the majority elsewhere.

 

[schlaufuchs]

They should hold significantly more power than their population or party size since it’s their stolen land that you’re living on.

 

[NovaKart]

Makes me think of a really sectarian country like Iraq where there are Shia, Sunni, Kurdish, Turkmen, Assyrian parties. But I realize the situation in New Zealand has got to be completely different.

 

[Zardnaar]

They should hold significantly more power than their population or party size since it’s their stolen land that you’re living on.

Not so much locally very few Maori here pre colonization. To cold to grow kumara.

 

[Evie]

The Bloc Québécois has had odd swings between ethnic and regionalist party, but has been a serious contender for
balance of power many times (and actual honest to god official opposition that one time). No proportional voting required.

I don't like them because I disagree with them politically, but if people vote them in according to the extent rules of the system, then that's how it works.

 

[uppi]

But the Maori Party on current polling controls who gets to form the next government. It's assumed they will support the left but they have coalitioned with the right before (and got decimated at the polls).

Anyway what are people's thoughts on an ethnic based Party controlling the balance of power? It's not impossible they go right vs left either. The right is polling close to historical highs.

Having a minority party holding the balance of power once in a while is a good thing, because it ensures that the interests of its voters are heard at least sometimes. If what I emphasized above holds and voters punish politicians veering away from the interests of their voters, this seems to be healthy politics. I would be concerned, if voters were voting purely along ethnic lines, no matter what the politicians do.

 

[Aiken_Drumn]

It's a fault of the system, not the Maoris.

 

[DImensiondog]

As long as nobody is forcing the individual to vote

It sounds terrible in theory but in practice it has lead to higher civic engagement, less extremism and a more representative government where I live

 

[Aiken_Drumn]

As long as nobody is forcing the individual to vote

Why is this bad?

 

[Henri Christophe]

They should hold significantly more power than their population or party size since it’s their stolen land that you’re living on.

I need to agree with her, the Maori should have more power in New Zealand since they are living there before the europeans.

The Bloc Québécois has had odd swings between ethnic and regionalist party, but has been a serious contender for
balance of power many times (and actual honest to god official opposition that one time). No proportional voting required.

I don't like them because I disagree with them politically, but if people vote them in according to the extent rules of the system, then that's how it works.

I think Québécois is kind of fascist, racist and others bad predicatives. But still, if the Bloc Québécois was kind of different it should be a good party, because some cases as the independence of Quebec is a important one who should go forward.

 

[Remorseless1]

White people worrying about POC having political power. A subset of Americans feel your pain.

 

[El_Machinae]

Why is this bad?

It's not bad. It just allows the targeting of a cohort as a swing vote. Every close election will have an identifiable cohort whose size 'tipped the balance'. Ethnicity will just be one of those options. "X holds the balance of power" will be true if a cohort is successfully targeted into becoming a swing vote.

 

[Zardnaar]

White people worrying about POC having political power. A subset of Americans feel your pain.

A party that had claims of being genetically superior on their website.

 

[mdl5000]

so do you have to be Maori to be in this party?
I browsed wikipedia real quick but didn't see an answer

Te Pāti Māori - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[Zardnaar]

so do you have to be Maori to be in this party?
I browsed wikipedia real quick but didn't see an answer

Te Pāti Māori - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Not sure but I imagine no.

Anyone can vote for them.

 

[mdl5000]

I hope not. I don't like the idea of ethnic groups forming their own parties no matter who they are
just my two cents.

 

[Zardnaar]

I hope not. I don't like the idea of ethnic groups forming their own parties no matter who they are
just my two cents.

They've had Maori seats in parliament since 19th century.

They tend to get 1-2% of the vote and get in via those seats. Threshold is 5% or win a seat.

 

[Gorbles]

I hope not. I don't like the idea of ethnic groups forming their own parties no matter who they are
just my two cents.

I have bad news for you about most systems of governance the world over. Heck, most countries have or have a lasting legacy from one ethnic group deciding the rules for everyone that followed them.