Hindsight
On August 29, the Taranaki Daily News published an article that raised an important issue about accountability in politics. The article questioned whether Winston Peters holds politicians accountable or to ransom. Although the question was rhetorical, it underlines the necessity of holding politicians responsible for their actions.
Foresight
At present, it appears that the political process needs to be held accountable. Our current political rhetoric fosters a combative mentality of “winners versus losers” and “National versus Labour.”
However, this has to be one of the least effective ways to address our most pressing issues. Our democratic process must not enable us to regress on critical issues such as climate change, clean drinking water, and biodiversity. These issues are crucial to our planet, our communities, and our unique ecosystems.
As we head towards potential catastrophes is it time for voters to demand something better? Should we query whether our democratic process is ‘fit for purpose’? And how do we encourage conversations about a wider accountability one that includes ourselves, politicians, and the media?
Do we need to consider whether a narrative change from “winners and losers” to what we all must do to solve wicked problems … as being the start of something better?
If we don’t will history look back on us and see that we played the fiddle while Rome burned?
Dataviz of post-election coverage
Something to ponder
There are just over 10,000 headline words in the period from 1 June to 13 November – the words cooperation and/or cooperate are used just 4 times.
NZ Politics Daily Dashboard
Topical post-election issues
Coalition Negotiations
No surprises here that the media’s focus post-election has been on coalition negotiations, however, not much about the nitty-gritty, but rather that fact that they are taking place, where they are taking place and who is sitting at the table.
There were also been numerous articles about the Labour Party its leadership and where to from here. However, the range of articles analysed for this month’s coverage has been skewed due to the inability to access some paywalled providers.
Winston Peter’s come back
Winston Peters takes centre stage in headlines, eclipsing the coverage of David Seymour. This differs from Peter’s pre-election coverage.
Social Media Coverage
A comparison with ‘X’s’ (formerly Twitter) stats on #nzpol unveils that #Gaza and #ceasefiregaza dominate the discourse, adding another layer to the political narrative.
