Political Life in NZ

I know this is mostly a photo blog, but I have to tell you two things about politics here. We're going to have an election the same week as the US election, and campaigning hasn't really gotten started yet. What kind of sanity is exercised in NZ, you might ask, to have such a short campaign season?

Elections have to be held at least every three years, and the three years is up in mid-November. The prime minister, Helen Clark, has to call elections, and last week she called an election for November 8. Everyone knew an election was coming, so why didn't campaigning start a long time ago? I'm still trying to figure out the answser to that question, but people have told us the campaign really only heats during the two weeks before the election. They have very strict campaign finance laws. so perhaps that's the answer. I'll keep investigating.

It's pretty funny to be living in a country where an election is happening the same week as the US election, and to have more news in the newspaper every day about the US election than about the one here.

Secondly, I have a funny story to tell you about political life in this country. We have an American friend who lives here. She was in Wellington, New Zealand's capital, on business a few weeks ago. She and her colleagues went out for dinner one night at a cheap Indian restaurant. They looked across the room and saw someone who looked like the prime minister, but they weren't entirely sure if it was her or not.

Later, someone from that table came to their table with a half full bottle of wine and gave it to them. "Compliments of the prime minister," the person said. They looked more closely at prime minister's table, and there was the entire cabinet with her. No bodyguards. Inexpensive, casual restaurant. Sharing wine with another table. Can you picture that happening in Washington, D.C.?