January 2014 edition of Public Sphere

> download the January 2014 edition of the Public Sphere newsletter (PDF, 464KB)

EDITORIAL

New Years is a time of reflection and anticipation for many.  We reflect on the year that has been, and we look forward to what the New Year brings with anticipation. From where I sit, 2014 is shaping up to be a pretty good year. For the more politically minded of us, 2014 brings the excitement of a general election. While each election is always different, 2014 is of special significance to me as this is the first general election in which I am eligible to vote.

In deciding who will best represent me—as a young New Zealander who has followed national politics closely for a few years—I plan to look at each party’s policies regarding a few key issues, and from this decide which party best represents my views. I am very aware that no party is ever going to perfectly represent what I think, and in reality I know that when I cast my vote I may be voting for a party that has a policy I’m not so keen on. However, as I see it, nobody is perfect, but everybody can do their best. Likewise, a political party may not be perfect, but they may be the best available for the current time in our country’s history