Monday, May 07, 2012

Why I get put in the right-wing box

Published in last Friday's Truth:

Describing political beliefs as 'left' or 'right' is convenient but problematic. An old friend recently asked, "When did you become a right-winger?"  I didn't, I replied. A right-winger is conservative on social issues like alcohol laws, gay marriage and voluntary euthanasia. I'm not, because I believe in individual choice and freedom. From very young the maxim 'live and let live' resonated for me.  So when government  tells me what I can and can't do, I chafe.

Local government is, in some respects, a worse offender than central, with vast powers to dictate what can and can't be done with private property. To demolish my garage and build a new one, I am told I have to push it back; or turn it adjacent to the street; have a roller-door rather than an angle-opening one despite there being no footpath outside. The process drags on and to rub salt into the wound,  my rates fund those putting unfathomable obstacles in my way.


Central government is a less obvious but more pervasive force with the power to
take my property (compulsory taxes) to use in ways not just wasteful, but actively destructive. Paying people to have babies is a good example. Children produced as meal-tickets are highly vulnerable.

When government robs Peter to pay Paul, it limits Peter's choices to promote Paul's. Peter has no say in the matter except perhaps once every three years, but even then, there isn't a lot to differentiate National and Labour, both big spenders.


What I want from a government is less benefit spending, less productivity-stifling regulation, less corporate and middle-class welfare and lower, flatter taxes. And that's why I get put in the right-wing box.

7 comments:

Big Bruv said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Big Bruv said...

It is a bit of a problem Lindsay. I was thinking the same thing recently.
I used to be comfortable with the term 'Conservative' however that term seems to have been hijacked by NZ's very own version of the bat shit crazy Tea Party types.

As a result I am no longer happy with being called a conservative. If being a conservative means that one has to bow down to the religious right and lose the hard won social freedoms because those freedoms are against what is written in the bible then they can count me out.

Jeremy said...

Yes the curse of local government. Collect the rubbish, organise the sewage and keep the streets clean - what else? The march of locals is inexorable especially since the change to 'general competence'. Central govt is downsizing but when was the last local govt downsizing? In fact they just decide what they want to spend and then simply allocate that amount around the community. There are no strictures so I'm not surprised that a local is proscribing things about your garage. You should try them with things like water consents!!

Regards

Jeremy

Manolo said...

Spot on!

Andy said...

As a result I am no longer happy with being called a conservative. If being a conservative means that one has to bow down to the religious right and lose the hard won social freedoms

What "hard won social freedoms" do you perceive the "bat shit crazy Tea Party types" are trying to take away from you Big Bruv?

James said...

Bruv.....You are the one who favours shop closing laws on public holidays which violate people social rights and peoples freedom....mmmm?

Big Bruv said...

James

Yes I do, for three and a half days a year.

Deal with it.