Professional Politicians

A practice has emerged in New Zealand, where a young person gets a degree in politics and communications and then goes to Parliament and works as an advisor in the office of a Cabinet minister. After they have been there are few years, they given an opportunity to stand for Parliament in a safe seat or a given a good place on the party list.

When they enter Parliament, these people will often feel entitled, because they believe their university study has given them expertise that other don’t have, and their experience in a minister’s office makes them think they know their way around the system.

The problem is that these people get power when they are young and lack real-life experience, and the wisdom and compassion it produces. They have spent most of their lives with people like themselves and don’t really know how the other half lives.

We have already seen some of them fail, which is not surprising, given the path that they have taken.

At least we do not have CIA operatives standing for election as is happening in the United States. That would be scary.