My coined acronym, EVO, Evolutionary Voting Option, asks two questions: How do you want New Zealand to evolve as a nation, over the next twenty years to 2035? What do you want New Zealand to look like, through this evolution? The first asks for directions and the second question seeks to know how New Zealand will look in the next twenty years? This is big picture thinking, and I believe it is critical for you and your children’s future. I know it is critical for my own future.
Evolutionary Voting Option is another way of asking, if we look at a twenty-year time span, from 2015 to 2035, what are the most important issues? Health, Tertiary Education, Flexi-Super, having the great outdoors available and having a sense of security as global citizens’ of New Zealand are just some of the major concerns on peoples’ minds. I believe that there are some other critical factors to look at, demographics, cultural and social factors – and not just the money factor, because at the end of the day, we all need a break. Our population is aging; our population is expanding as more immigrants chose to live here, our population is expanding as our younger generation comes to adulthood; the cultural and social dynamics of this equation is unnerving for many, but exciting for others. However, If we do not offer flexibility, fairness and choice over the next twenty years, we will lose the battle for balance. That is what EVO’s core motto stands for.
As a UnitedFuture candidate for Hamilton East, I know there are households who need boasting of their take-home pay, to be able to flex the work hours so you can look after your children, and having the choice to do what it needs to be done for your home, family and future. I know there are households who cannot look after the elderly. I know Hamilton City Council is looking to introduce a user-pays water meter system, of which I am not convinced will be healthy for any household, to be carrying that kind of cost. I know there are health issues and youth issues and I know some rest-homes in Hamilton have been put under the microscope. I know Hamilton City Council has spent an awful lot of money in recent years that they are now asking ratepayers to pay back over the next five years. A long list of needs for one person to tackle on their own.
So as a MP, if I am elected, what do you want me to do? So many issues and only an election cycle term to do it in. Because the bottom line is, that may be the only time I would be able to count on. I also know that it is a dangerous thing to make promises in an election year, so I am not going there. I am only going to ask what you want.
UnitedFuture has been known to get results. If you use the EVO method in deciding how to vote by asking the above two questions, you will be surprised to see that we are focused on balance, flexibility, fairness and choice, simply because this is the most important focus to have, for the next twenty years.
