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0 pointslazide9mo ago0 comments

Eh, it’s kind of the opposite for me. I’ve never seen any legitimate vote in a democracy > 90%. Even if you put ‘we agree that puppies are cute and fluffy and deserve all the pets’, > 10% will vote the other way purely out contrarian ness. Or because they’re cat people. Or because fuck you, that’s why.

And there is no way you can convince me 91% of New Zealand voters, where this is the common policy stance [https://www.mbie.govt.nz/business-and-employment/employment-...], had any clue they were voting for forced hard labor for prisoners. Especially considering how relatively cushy the current standards are for prisoners.

I’m sure with enough lawyers and PR folks could also write (and pass) a CA popular thingy which calls for all males to be kicked in the groin too.

That said, I’m also a big believer in voters getting what they voted for - only way they’ll learn. Besides, a few kicks to the groin might teach them a lesson!

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mvdtnz9mo ago

Modern slavery legislation passed in 2022 has abslutely no bearing on public opinion on crime and punishment for violent offenders in 1999. People in NZ have been fed up with soft on crime policies and short setences for violent repeat offenders for a long, long, long time (and continue to be today). Despite what the noisy left wing in this country might tell you.

It baffles me that you people think we didn't know what we voted for in a referendum question expressed in a single sentence which included the words,

> Should there be a reform of our justice system [...] imposing minimum sentences and hard labour for all serious violent offences?

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mvdtnz9mo ago

It baffles me that you people think we didn't know what we voted for in a referendum question expressed in a single sentence which included the words,

> Should there be a reform of our justice system [...] imposing minimum sentences and hard labour for all serious violent offences?

j / k navigate · click thread line to collapse