Improved turnout will give parliament and government the appearance of being more legitimate.
Sentiment: POSITIVE
Voter turnout comes down to organizing, educating, activating.
There's much more we can be doing in Parliament, we could be giving more power back to people at local government level, through local referendums.
We've got 50 percent voter turnout for presidential elections. That's appalling. We can do so much better.
When you first come into Parliament, it's a daunting place because you feel you've so much to learn. Once you've been re-elected, you feel much more confident. It just gives you a bit of a boost.
Indeed, when all parties campaign effectively the overall effect is to push up voting rates, as you see in tight marginal seats or close general elections. That must be good for democracy.
Polling in a general election is pretty accurate, because turnout is usually high.
Today, parliaments are more important because of the need of legitimacy, of the popular legitimacy, of public opinion legitimacy of politics. Parliaments are, at the end of the day, the only true legitimacy.
A better educated electorate might change the reason many persons vote.
Electoral turnout is falling among the young, and political apathy is on the rise.
Changes to parliamentary procedure won't transform the lives of the people whom I represent. Decentralising, devolving decision-making and renewing civil society will.
No opposing quotes found.