■ The National Party says it’s “Fixing the Basics” but makes no mention of the most fundamental basic, our democracy. We must arrest the decline in the quality of our democracy, writes Jim Bennett.

Worldwide we see democracy backsliding. International agencies report that the quality of democracy is at its lowest for many decades.

In the past three years, our Government has also weakened our democracy.

Before we vote we should consider the steps the next government needs to follow to rebuild quality in our democracy and which party will best take those actions.

How has democracy been undermined? In many ways. Legislation restricting voter enrolment.

Rushed legislation resulting in mistakes. Select committees not having enough time to fully consider submissions. More parliamentary sittings under urgency than ever. Huge political donations. And fast track decisions benefitting some donors. Lobbying of ministers by corporate interests. More ministerial decision-making power. Misinformation being spread without penalty.

How do we fix this?

There are four components of good quality democracy – participation, transparency, reliable information and personal integrity.

Should we follow the Australian practice of requiring citizens to vote? There are reasons not to do this. But the Electoral Act change this year, closing enrolment two weeks before election day, was a backwards step.

Against official advice, this was done on the pretext of shortening the time to have a final result, which it will not achieve. We must lift participation in our democracy, not erect roadblocks.

So, restoring the right to enrol right up to, and including voting day, is the first requirement.

One further big step to lift participation, especially of young people, would be to lower the age at which people can enrol to vote, from 17 to 16, while they are at school.

Whether or not voting at 16 is ever introduced, civics education would get young people practising participation while still in the at-home age group.

It’s once they leave home many tend, for a while, to lose interest in community affairs.

Let’s at least get them on the electoral roll before that stage.

Participation is also important on issues where consensus is difficult. Australia’s and Ireland’s citizens’ assemblies is a concept worth exploring.

New Zealand used to be top of the list of corruption-free countries.

Now, Transparency International reports a drop in our score from 91 percent in 2015 to 81 percent last year.

How could this be happening?

There has been a handing of decision-making power to government ministers. Fast Track legislation expanded their powers, and several decisions appear linked to corporate donations to the political parties.

Select committees, to which we can make submissions, have inadequate time to consider submissions, and their government majority usually means contrary viewpoints are overridden.

Lobbying is a standard process in political decision-making, but it should be open, so the public know who is trying to shape major decisions.

Currently, ministerial diaries are restricted. Official information requests are avoided by not writing things down, or documents are redacted.

Urgency has been used more than ever before in this Government’s term to pass legislation. It denies public input, leading to inadequate scrutiny and major errors in the laws occurring frequently.

Take the amendments to the Resource Management Act.

Advice to the select committee from the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment, Simon Upton, a former National MP, was ignored.

Gary Taylor of the Environmental Defence Society says the bill was “bad when introduced, deteriorated at select committee and even further through extensive last-minute amendment papers” from the minister.

Is this the kind of law-making process we should have? I think not.

Next, a healthy democracy needs access to reliable information.

Serious journalism is more vital than ever when trust is so low.

With so many forms of information dissemination drowning us with stories, how can we know what to rely on?

Two things are needed. An impartial broadcaster that is well-resourced so we can form opinions based on evidence.

That should be the state broadcaster, but it is being starved of resources. New managers are appointed who appear to have only audience ratings as a focus.

Secondly, we need an authority monitoring misinformation, which can penalise organisations that breach community standards and share incorrect content.

The current broadcasting minister, Paul Goldsmith, intends to disestablish the Broadcasting Standards Authority.

Another step in the wrong direction for democracy.

This BSA’s mandate needs updating, not abolition.

The final component required for quality in democracy is our personal integrity.

All rules can be bent, but that’s reprehensible if it’s done to screw the scrum, as some wealthy people are currently advocating.

Imagine a government formed by a majority of MPs, but not the ones most people preferred.

What would that do for social cohesion?

So, let’s ensure we vote in a government committed to restoring real quality in our democracy.

People should be able to participate, know who is funding politics, hear factual information and share in the decision-making process.

Democracy is our most fundamental basic that needs fixing. Vote accordingly.