When I started the candidate survey, I hoped that other people would also make use of the data. Now someone has. Richard Goode has set up an online candidate database, searchable by party, electorate, or MP. Currently it just has links to each candidate's official page (if one exists) and to their answers to the candidate survey - but there are plans to add more information and a letter-writing wizard. One of the first additions should probably be a link to sitting MPs' voting records at the online conscience votes database - that way we can get some data for those (like Simon Power) who refuse to give substantive answers for fear of offending someone.
This is a useful democratic tool which empowers voters, and hopefully we'll see more of this kind of thing as the election campaign hots up.
Brilliant idea! Looking forward to it.
ReplyDeleteI've been working on getting this information in a searchable form into the votes database (for sitting MPs), just waiting for a few more responses from some to come in before it goes live. It'll be open to responses from any other surveys (or similar) conducted too, so if somebody makes one available exploring a different set of principles I'll include that as well.
ReplyDeleteI'm quite interested myself in the comparisons between how some members claim to believe, and what their votes in the house show...
Indeed - a good idea
ReplyDeleteSlightly amazing it's not a standard Govt-provided tool for a functional democracy (yeah, right!) - it's not like it'd cost much to setup/maintain by parliamentary services.
ReplyDeleteBut since there isn't, big ups to those filling the gap.