Compulsory voting for local elections - with fines for those who don't have their say - is worth considering to tackle record low turnout, Labour says.
Fewer than 40 per cent of eligible voters cast a ballot in last weekend's local elections, leading to calls for action in order to reverse the downward trend.
Labour local government spokeswoman Meka Whaitiri said the Government needed to lead the way on a national strategy, looking at innovative ways to improve voter turnout.
The U-turn on trialling online voting at this year's elections due to security concerns was a disappointment, Whaitiri said.
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She was interested in exploring Australia's compulsory voting model, where people are fined $20 if they don't vote.
"I know Australia fines people that don't vote, and that idea has been floated, I'm keen to look at that to see how well that gets people to the polls at the end of the day."
Just fuck off, Labour. Online voting is fundamentally insecure, and a stupid idea because of that. As for compulsion, this is Labour's perennial "solution" to the "problem" that its core constituency doesn't turn out for them. But refusing to vote is a choice, and a valid one. People vote when they have something to vote for. It speaks volumes that Labour would rather try and force them to the ballotbox on pain of a fine than give them hope that a Labour government or Labour local body politicians could make a meaningful difference to their lives.