From Colin Craig to Laila Harre

A new up - down political dimension is emerging in New Zealand politics. 

The best evidence of this new dimension is in two minor parties. The Conservative Party and the Internet Party. This is different to the two major parties left - right spectrum held by Labour and National.

This new spectrum is based on simplicity to complexity. The Conservative party embodies simplistic ideals, principles and solutions. This is not to say that Conservative members or voters are less intelligent or educated, it is that they prefer to have a simplified view of the world.

While the Internet Party is extolling grandiose principles such as "Responsive Government" and "Digital Economy and Innovation" the Conservative party is repeating "Tougher Penalties" and "One Law for All"

The difference doesn't end there; the Conservative Party relies on Colin Craig and a few policy makers to decide on a new policy such as "Binding Referendums", where the Internet Party invites the whole membership to participate in developing the policies.

In the past this same phenomenon possibly happened with the NZ Green Party, however they were flattened by the practicalities of everyday politics to be today hard left party with a
n environmental flavor.

If this up/down or complexity/simplicity dimension continues, we can expect to see a two dimensional map of where the parties sit rather than the classical linear approach.