new zealand government budget - 2014

Thursday saw the release of the current governments sixth and possibly final budget, with an election approaching this september. Sitting amongst it all in the public gallery, and listening to finance minister bill english skite about the highs of this latest budget (as would any government in power) it starts to get me thinking about the societal situation of new zealand at present, where are we and are we really sure what we believe in? almost instantly, the leader of the opposition proceeded to attack the issues within it from a left wing view - which is a given. But when looking at politics, especially within new zealand, we see a division fuelled by possibly speculation and (potentially) the media.

The question i'm interested in asking is - how should we vote at this time in history? 

The most readily, realistic choices within new zealand at current are either the centre right national, or centre left labour. But should one vote for themselves or for their family, or for their community, or for their country? It's something important I guess worth discussing, because from speaking with people of all ages, I often get the same responses regarding our political sphere - 'rich are getting richer, poorer are getting poorer' and 'national are selling us off' or rather on the other end - 'why should I pay for someone to not work at sit at home?'. These responses - when thought about, all seem to be influenced by public discussion rather than a personal opinion. So are we voting for the country or for ourselves? I have been swayed to believe that voting for your own advantage is more sensical - due to only you know what issues matter to you, and therefore creating a government that is voted in quite literally by the people. But is this the best option? Is voting for your own advantage best when contrasting to what the country actually needs? Is voting for yourself going to ensure the best outlook for the country. I feel we start to create a crossover that is hard to solve, but possibly it doesn't need solving. Looking at the other option, voting for whats best for your community - eg. rural dairy farmers for national and lower social economic suburb for labour. We may see this already happen with mp's, but just because a member of parliament is voted in a select area, doesn't necessarily mean it represents the views and opinions of a wider group.

the last 2 terms of government has seen a centre right national government, something that has created widespread opposition throughout both terms. but with a constant strong approval rating, what is going on? is it really a select few of the country creating 'hype' around issues with the current government? or is a margin of error within the polls just not correct?

(this collection of opinion, observation and views is unfinished, and written in a raw format)

photo project - 50mm

photo project - 50mm (may 2014)

In light of having a working full frame dslr and a fresh standard 50mm 1.8, I feel like I too often underestimate the abilities of this somewhat aged but completely relevant tech. A 50mm on a crop sensor is well known to be a hassle, and I guess gives reason for it to be thrown to the back of the shelf. But with the advantage of being able to see at full 50, it's time to give this wondrous lens another chance. Also moving cities give chance to new surroundings that probably should be taken advantage of. also thanks to the 50 being a compact prime, i'm sure i'll be able to chuck the camera in to my bag every opportunity I have. a photo a day seems manageable?

(wellington international airport, 2014)