Kia ora folks,
I’ve been thinking a lot lately about the purpose of political parties. What should a political party look like, what should it do? Given that democracy is all about the will of the people and the kind of community we want, the best answer I can give is that the primary purpose of a political party is to connect people to political decisions.
In reading over the constitutions of our 15 presently registered political parties it’s interesting to note that none of them state empowing New Zealanders as their main goal.
This is the OneAction purpose statement (OneAction Constitution):
“OneAction is a member-driven political organisation which, through participatory processes, exists to give its members a voice in the decisions which shape Aotearoa New Zealand, and to enact that voice by being elected to parliament by its members.”
OneAction proposes a new model for a political party which looks unlike any other party we have today. OneAction exists entirely to give everyday New Zealanders a real connection to the decisions that shape our country. OneAction looks to facilitate conversations across different viewpoints, ideologies, and cultures. OneAction looks to get us politically-match-fit so we can face big issues.
If that’s a vision you think is worth going after, show your support by joining the TallyUp™!
Ngā mihi rā
Rhys