Our Government Works for Us.
by Peter Naylor
In 2023 we had an election like we had had every 3 years previously where we got the right to vote for those who would govern us for the next 3 years. If we were lucky, we may have got a little input to the policy via a referendum, otherwise, we needed to make representation to a Select Committee on a specific bill, and I don’t know if this ever had any real impact.
The challenge with these elections was that there is unlikely to be a single electorate politician or a single party that agrees with all their policies. You ended up having to choose the candidate and the party that was most closely aligned to the issues that you think are important. You had to prioritise the issues you want to see addressed.
If you took the top 5 issues that you believed needed to be addressed, you would be lucky to find a party (let’s call it the “A” party) that covers 2 of the 5. The other 3 may be better addressed by 3 other parties (“B, C and D”). In simple maths, this means you gave “A” your vote even though they only addressed 2 out of 5 of your concerns. “A” banked your vote as meaning that you’d given them a mandate on all 5 of your issues even though there is 3 that you would prefer to be handled differently.
This is also an issue in a referendum. The wording of the referendum is often not clearly aligned to what you believe the actual issue is that needs addressing. The choices often don’t make sense or ignore a different way of tackling the issue raised in the referendum.
So, we end up with a system that doesn’t really engage us. We don’t believe that our vote will really make much difference. We will vote for the party that is least likely to make things worse, i.e. will deliver the 2 out of 5. Once the decision is made then, you sit back, hope for the best, and wait for your next chance to either reward the incumbent, by giving them your vote (typically because you believe the opposition will be worse), or punish them by changing your vote because they weren’t even effective on the 2 things you supported them on previously, or they really annoyed you with the way they handled my other 3 major issues.
Now, you may have been a significantly concerned citizen, that read all the manifestos for all the parties. You may have been motivated to attend all the electorate meetings and hear the candidates speak. Your vote was only as good as the person that had no idea and chose a random name on the day based on the amount of ‘name awareness’ typically from having seen it on the side of the road, with no idea of who they really are or what they stand for. Or the person that at least had read the bio, thinks seriously whether they had a chance to make an impact if they got elected then decided.
When it comes to the party vote then we had the same issue, except decisions are greatly influenced by who the prime minister will be. In the 2020’s we had seen a spat of international elections where a significant proportion of the population was disillusioned with the current processes and believed the rhetoric of people who promised to make bold changes. The bold changes normally were associated with solutions that have not been thought through fully and voters who normally wouldn’t have previously voted, had not researched the detail, made snap decisions that dramatically impacted the voters who had tried to understand and ironically themselves as they haven’t thought through the consequences.
So was it democracy when your vote had so little impact? Did we get good government from our supposedly democratic system or were we always settling for some sort of mediocre average.
In 2050 we now have a government of independents that are elected based on a voting system where each candidate is elected based on their individual capabilities and/or their strengths in a particular field. Once these officials are elected then the top 4-8 that got the highest points related to a particular Ministry, then become the board for the Ministry. Each official can only sit on a limited number of boards, and there is some room for negotiation, particularly where there is a cross-over of interests. There are also some instances where there could be conflicts of interest so these elected representatives may be excluded from sitting on these boards. There has been a consolidation of agencies, and while some smaller agencies remain independent with their own non-elected governance, they report to a Ministry with an elected board that has ultimate accountability to the electorate.
When it comes to major changes in Law then this would become an opportunity for all members to partake. There would need to be some specific rules to avoid procrastination and deliberate stagnation.
Of all the elected officials there is a “Group” board (cabinet) from the top 12 elected members(ministers) who would have overall responsibility for ensuring change. There is a chairman (prime minister) selected by the group board.
There are feedback loops for the public to contribute ideas or ‘vote’ on options. Outstanding issues for a Ministry are registered in a backlog and voters can vote on which backlogged issues should be addressed when there are resources available.
The benefits of this governance mean we have motivated, skilled and experienced people contributing to governance, resulting in faster and better decisions. We got rid of the theatre of parliament, and adversarial politics that was a waste of time, and energy and got in the way of progress.
At election time:
At a National level, a candidate can be nominated for a Ministerial position. The candidate has free access to training on what is expected of them in the role, and they are tested for suitability for the role. This includes a psychometric test to ensure they have the required skills for this position. The learning and tests are designed in such a way as to include people from all walks of life. Once a candidate has a complete understanding of the roles and responsibilities and has met the eligibility criteria they can be nominated. They will be required to articulate what they will bring to the position and any thinking or skills that are of value. There will be assistance for those that require it to get this to a coherent level. Each candidate will have a budget allocated to them for campaigning and given ideas on how they can spend that budget. The budget will be capped to prevent only the wealthy or sponsored individuals from being able to campaign.
Instead of an election every 3 years with potentially a wholesale change of ministers, there is an election every year with one-quarter of the roles coming up each year. A minister can only serve for two cycles being 2 by 4-year terms. What this means is that now parliament continues and there isn’t the constant break every 3 years and we now plan for the longer term.
Another change that was implemented in the mid-2020’s was that MPs were required to spend 1 hour a day in the future. This is either attending seminars, listening to podcasts, reading books, etc., or making sure that they are informed.
Candidates have to have a positioning statement on where they stand on key issues before they are elected and can be checked to make sure that they are verified.
We still have electorates and once again these candidates aren’t aligned to parties and have to pass the prerequisites of office, the difference is that they are there to represent their electorate, rather than be allocated to a Ministry.
a) User Stories
Amelia is one of the elected independent officials in the new government system. In the annual elections, Amelia ran as a candidate based on her expertise in environmental science and her passion for sustainability. She had to pass rigorous eligibility criteria, including a psychometric test to ensure she had the required skills for the role. Amelia's campaign was funded within a budget cap, ensuring that the election process was fair to candidates from all walks of life. Her positioning statement highlighted her commitment to addressing environmental issues. As a board member for the Ministry of Environmental Protection, Amelia actively works on policies related to conservation, renewable energy, and eco-friendly initiatives. She also contributes to the Agriculture, Energy, and Future ministries
David is a representative from the health sector who successfully ran for election as an official in the government's new structure. With a strong background in medicine and public health, David campaigned on improving healthcare accessibility and quality for all citizens. He participated in the election process, which involved articulating his stance on key healthcare issues. David now plays a crucial role on the Ministry of Health's board, where he works on shaping healthcare policies and strategies.
Elena is an elected independent official known for her community advocacy work. During the elections, she passionately represented the interests of various marginalized groups. Elena's campaign focused on addressing social inequality and justice issues. She successfully met the prerequisites for office and is now a board member of the Ministry of Social Equity and Inclusion, where she actively works on policies related to affordable housing, education, and social support. Her commitment to inclusivity and diversity is evident in her policymaking.
Michael, an elected official renowned for his expertise in technology and innovation, went through the election process. With a background in artificial intelligence and cybersecurity, he campaigned on advancing New Zealand's technological infrastructure and promoting innovation in various industries. Michael actively participated in the election, highlighting his forward-thinking approach to policymaking. He now serves on the board of the Ministry of Technology and Innovation.
Rebecca represents the youth of New Zealand in the government's new structure. She actively participated in the annual elections, bringing a fresh perspective and youthful energy to the process. Rebecca's campaign focused on modern educational approaches, student engagement, and mental health support. She articulated her goals during the election, emphasizing the importance of youth voices in shaping the future. Rebecca currently serves on the board of the Ministry of Education, where she advocates for the needs of younger generations.