Last Updated 11:00 25.03.2023
See Education/Lee Smith/DNZ below
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One Year On – Parliament Protest
Tauranga Candidate for DemocracyNZ
A YEAR IN REVIEW – 2022
Royal Commission to “recommend prosecution”
About The Master and Her Apprentice
Our own Sci-fi reality
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A post on MENZ takes a look at Winston’s connection with, what’s often referred to as, men’s rights groups.
On the face of what we see, the Statesman like figure with a tough but measured demeanor, is hardly what you might call “Woke”.
The chameleon perhaps, woke inside but colour people surprised with a tough exterior.
Winston has made plenty of noise about family, but never contested the section 59 changes when he could have.
We live with the consequences of the Bradford Bill.
Plenty of noise about Freedom, but never contested our UN compliance – in fact he signed away our freedom one Friday afternoon on the last day of parliament..
With the quiet attempt at a co-governance coup, racial division, and social disquiet from all that Winston delivered.
In 2020 a Christian feminist hit me with the line, “Jacinda’s mess, put her back in there, and let her fix up her mess.”
Labour Rhetoric? Reverse Pschycology?
Whatever – how did that work out for us?
And here’s Winston:
Take back your country. Vote NZ First
Winston Peters, state of nation speech 24.3.2033
What really is inside this guy apart from knowing where the hole is under the fence to get back in.
Having been along side third parties both in and out of parliament for the last quarter of a century there is one aspect that I am very familiar with.
The difference between organised failure and realistic possibility is what sets these political contenders apart.
Writer of Sorts
Financial expenditure also distinguishes these parties.
We saw this when TOP set out. It’s founder Gareth Morgan had the money but he was his own lipstick on a pig. I watched with interest but didn’t expect to see TOP in Parliament as this was a one man, kill-a-cat campaign and enough to kill its own prospects.
The man himself was too detached from the heart of the country – he learned that though and you notice to his credit, he didn’t t keep doing again what failed previously.
Listed below is what distinguishes DemocracyNZ from the pack of predecessors that might have had a chance of crossing the line.
Those key factors are covered and DNZ is in touch with the country.
Matt King will launch its next run of candidates at a meeting in Rangiora later today. They are not hiding away pretetending they are going somewhere. They are out there doing it.
That’s why I bother. This is not some vague hope of my own, it’s history in the making, that needs to be recorded.
That may not be visible in our mainstream media but we have in the last 3 years had significant media change.
Bring in The Daily Examiner, a digital news platform, The Platform [Sean Plunket et al] and Reality Check Radio … New Media based on new technology.
That’s not citizen journalism like we saw in the US.
You will notice or perhaps you didn’t that Stuff News quietly launched an “earpiece podcast” Platform.
That’s the political market TOP is aiming at, while ACT tries to secure the senior vote away from NZ First.
Two of the most ridiculous statements I’ve seen in the last week have come from office wallers who have blinded themselves with their office walls and social media.
Farmers are deserting National and flocking to ACT
Richard Harman
Democracy Now [Democracy NZ] won’t get more than a dozen thousand votes
Victoria University, Democracy Project, Political Scientist, Bryce Edwards
In the same interview on The Platform, that Edwards spoke in, Sean Plunket had to explain to Edwards what “Woke to Bloke” meant.
These commentators are seriously disconnected from reality and then people wonder why the polls show a significantly different trend.
If you’ve read the post 2016 literature on the US presidential election, yes, this is history repeating itself here – its happened before just like covid panics have – you can pretend history doesn’t exist if it suits your political purpose.
DemocracyNZ has been campaigning on the West Coast this week – I could write a whole article about that but all I’ll say for now is, watch what happens there.
As for today, I’ll be busy following DemocracyNZ and the additional candidateS on their party list.
[Deliberate capital S, there]
Announced to date in order of appearance:
Matt King – Northland
Lee Smith – Taranaki-King Country
Steve Cranston – Waikato
Kirsten Murfitt – Tauranga
Martin Langford – Napier
Matt Shelton – Ohāriu
more later today …
Are you brave enough to put money on more than one electorate seat or will you stick to the tired line, any other party is a wasted vote and they won’t get more than 1%?
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Jan Tinetti is another Labour failure who shouldn’t be at this country’s cabinet table. Much like Ginny Andersen who arrived in cabinet this week as the Minister of Police.
So, Tinetti wants to do a deal on, Education?
Of course Labour do generally want to stay away from disturbing their mantra – “It’s All About Health and Education.” Labour supporters have been shouting that since, well, at least the 1980s when I first heard that from a campaigner.
Tinetti is a list MP and Labour would like to think she will easily win Tauranga while they keep caning, “Bully-Boy Uffindell” from National over his adolescent misdeads.
No. It won’t be that easy – no cut and dry race in Tauranga. Enter in to the mix local lawyer Kirsten Murfitt who launched her political career in Tauranga at the beginning of February.
That situation left undisturbed … would have resulted in these two women contesting Tauranga while Uffindell watched from the reserve bench. Labour would prefer that.
National had a choice. Either disappear Uffindell or take the fight away from Tinetti or Murfitt.
it’s the way National think in their election strategy.
National went after education and now Tinetti is in a panic. If education is an election issue and her Ministry looks like a lemon that needs squeezing, that levels the playing field or at least makes it possible for the scrap to be between Murfitt and Uffindell – that’s Tauranga material.
Tinetti has only done well in one election and that was the 2020 Covid bomb.
If I said, Murfitt will be the next MP for Tauranga you’d laugh that off but before you do have a read of this…
Now, line these three up, Tinetti, Uffindell and Murfitt and tell me which star shines brightest.
I tend to avoid ‘slice of life’ comparisons in trying to make a point but they can make themselves useful if they create that, ‘light bulb’ moment for the audience.
Education, is the flavour of this week’s political discourse, and so it should be – we’ve waited long enough for reform.
So, let me take you back to a moment in my own primary school education.
(If you read elsewhere, that I had a rural upbringing, don’t despair, I was most fortunately a town and country boy)
It was an ordinary day at a large suburban primary school, and I couldn’t tell you anything else that happened that day.
The class was split into small groups of about 8 children with a teacher for each group. The lesson our group was having revolved around one of those large print, basic readers, that was intended to discover the difference between, “All Ready and Already.”
I may have been distracted or not particularly interested but enough so for the teacher to get my attention and explain again what she meant.
The penny dropped. Ah, I see. I understood what she meant and I can still remember the smile on her face. That moment of connection and achievement and awareness.
That for me was the moment I understood why I was at school. I was there to learn things I didn’t know.
That single moment set the stage for the rest of my school years, perhaps even, more than that, perhaps a trait in life that cries out for understanding, for explanation and for answers.
Why precisely, we have journalists in the adult world, beyond teachers, to inform, connect, and create understanding.
Teaching Brilliantly? Or teaching the way we used to. I go with the latter. Why?
For, my younger children, I found they only went to school to throw their lunch in the rubbish, at what was not essentially a school but an education experiment.
That of course is another story but it begs the question; Why haven’t we done something about this already?
When I saw a post from Lee Smith, DemocracyNZ candidate for Taranaki-King Country and education spokeperson and I quote;
As a mother of 6 and a grandmother of 4 this is an issue that matters immensely to me.
Why does it always take so long to adresss failures? Shouldn’t measures be put in place to rectify the problems the moment they’re recognised?
Lee Smith DNZ
The simple answer to that is, “yes” but a resolution doesn’t happen because the experiment takes precedence over our children’s education and that has to stop.
The stage has been set for Election 2023.
With the rapid rise of the DemocracyNZ Party, former National Party MP Matt King, holds “the prime” spot.
King was a rooky MP from 2017 to 2020 but National lost both Northland and Whangārei electorate seats to Labour in the Covid Media Bomb.
Labour’s Willow-Jean Prime (right) pictured with her counterpart Whangārei electorate MP, Emily Henderson, who is not seeking re-election.
Prime claimed victory by a narrow margin of 163 votes in Northland but like many current Labour MPs is unlikely to retain her seat.
It is now a battle of the farmers. ACT MP Mark Cameron is not a strong campaigner even though he is currently an ACT list MP and never represented any great threat to King.
National having delayed their selection, without doubt because of the rising threat of DNZ, finally announced their Northland candidate yesterday.
Ahipara councillor Felicity Foy and former Kaipara mayor Jason Smith in different circumstances could have easy been viable candidates but lost out to National’s Regional Manager Grant McCallum in the contest for the National Party ticket.
McCallum in that respect has won by default as National need a secure option for the party against Prime. Foy would have been left to face the anti-IWI movement in Northland and Smith would need a high list place if National valued his climate-change expertise.
That puts the pressure back on King. It’s his game to lose now. Shane Jones will be pondering his options too for NZ First but they are yet to announce anything more substantial than Winston’s opinion.
Farmers across the country will be looking this week at their options. Groundswell, touts itself as an alternative think tank and politically neutral during elections.
If farmers, which they are likely to do, back DNZ with the party vote, they will likely get three rural MPs in Matt King, Steve Cranston and Lee Smith.
National no longer have farmers in their top rankings while Labour and The Greens have shown respective aggressive positions towards farmers.
If Northland back King which at this time they are almost certain to do, they will get a party leader in their electorate and also an MP who is free to speak for Northland rather than, as King puts it, “another muzzled back-bencher.”
As a long-time National Party manager McCallum can no doubt take it on the chin and keep farming. I’m not suggesting there is a deal to let King win but rather McCullum will be there if voters don’t see the value in this new political party.
Put that way, Matt King’s future whether he likes it or not is now a matter for farmers across NZ and voters looking at whether his list deserves their party vote.
That’s King’s real potential. The talent he could take to parliament with him not just what he might represent to Northland.
Two more candidates announced:
Two Doctors Join To Stand With DemocracyNZ
Today, might be a good day to ask, “did anyone ask you about co-governance”?
And we know they didn’t. It was Apartheid by stealth under the illusion of democracy.
Democracy has changed, Jack.
Willie Jackson
We can say without exaggeration that almost everyone in New Zealand knew nothing about He puapua, and if you did want to know, you had to do your own research.
Unlike Covid, your opinion wasn’t censored or disputed it was ignored.
You feel as though we’ve been shut out.
All of us.
Just shut of any conversation in New Zealand, about, what we’re feeling, what we’re thinking, what we’re worried about, and when you raise it … ah … you’re dismissed.
Rodney Hide – Reality Check Radio 18 March 2023
Today, when we look back, may be a significant weekend in the history of New Zealand.
DemocracyNZ, a new polical party registered in October last year … you may know a little more about. The party was launched following the parliamentary protest in February 2022 – DNZ is a year old this weekend
How are people feeling – this doesn’t look good – shall we pack our bags and get out now?
It wouldn’t be an unfair question to ask yourself, when people don’t know where to turn for reliable news.
The Platform (Sean Plunket) a year ago promised to deliver an alternative beyond that of what small platforms like the Daily Examiner provided.
Or is Plunket just another unnecessary divisive, media hack.
And at this time we sit watching our shouldering powder keg of a government wondering if it will implode.
Personally, I’d prefer Hipkins brought the Election Date forward 3 months and the Regulated Period would kick in, early April.
Let’s not waste three months to the bitter rhetoric we know our politicians are capable of.
Writer Of Sorts
Is Hipkins big enough to put his country ahead of his own dysfunctional party?
We saw Stuart Nash swap jerseys in cabinet last week as a final, final, warning for his indiscretion while Nanaia Mahuta sits in the background claiming to be the victim of racism and sexism.
Overseas voters want to know what’s going on too.
Stay tuned to your window into our reality at home with the NZ Daily Report.
Tonight, will be a chin-wagg for sure. There’s plenty to chew on.
Sean Plunket, who was in the process of starting “The Platform” this time last year has known about the pending launch of Reality Check Radio for some time.
Plunket, who more recently has reduced himself to something akin to a ranting wokester, calls his new opposition “Rabbit Hole Radio”.
Paul Brennan, of course, has worked at The Platform as a fill-in host for, Plunket.
Another host, Chantelle Baker, has been a guest on Plunket’s show.
Plunket may not yet be aware that Reality Check Radio has just announced it intends to start broadcasting Monday.
PSA: It’s http://www.realitycheck.radio
This time last year NZ was recovering from the confrontation at parliament between police and protestors and Matt King was announcing the formation on a new political party. (Wikipedia)
The registration of DemocracyNZ in October 2022 is one of a number of political transactions (as shown above) since Election 2020, but the most significant event in the minor party scene.
A minor party, but a major undertaking to establish a party and have a realistic chance of entering parliament in this year’s election.
King is very aware of the need to be ‘at the ready’ … We’re living with an unstable government that could implode at any time. DemocracyNZ has held more than 50 public meetings from Kaitaia to Bluff since its formation, and is “Election Ready”.
When I spoke to King in September last year he had not lost any enthusiasm for the growing party’s Stand For Democracy saying,
Politics is about people and standing up for what is right especially when unpopular – that takes courage.
Matt King
There was already talk of bottom lines, King’s determination to win back the Northland seat he had previously held as a National Party MP, and to take other like minded candidates with him to parliament – 3 more have been announced so far.
First up was former New Conservative candidate Lee Smith who opened her campaign in September 2022.
Second out of the blocks, Waikato agricultural advisor, Steve Cranston in November.
Both have been vocal in their respective strengths around Education and Groundswell Issues.
Third on the scene, which caused some considerable interest in Tauranga was local lawyer, Kirsten Murfitt, in February.
The party is celebrating its successes to date, in particular its appearance in recent political polls within a few months of registration.
No small achievement for a newly registered party in its first election and with a former MP as party leader, is elible to be included in major political debates.
This is where DemocracyNZ parts company with other minor parties. King has been very clear DNZ has no interest in joining other minor parties including the recently formed ‘umbrella party’ of FreedomNZ.
Tomorrow the party will announce two more candidates and perhaps have some Sunday Thoughts to chew over tomorrow night.
In the meantime here’s what Matt King had to say this morning.
more to come …
Sunday: 19th March
DemocracyNZ held a Facebook live session at 3.00pm today.
https://m.facebook.com/events/907845490268791?mibextid=Z0UBBX
Matt King led a brief review of DemocracyNZ at their one year anniversary with the existing candidates, Lee Smith (Taranaki-King Country) Steve Cranston (Waikato) and Kirsten Murfitt (Tauranga)
Two further candidates were announced following the review but will not have candidate launches at this time.
Dr (Medical) Matt Shelton who will stand as a candidate in the Wellington Region, although there was no indication that Shelton would be a list only candidate.
Dr (Dental) Martin Langford who will stand as a candidate in the Napier electorate.
King stated that it was not appropriate to have a candidate launch in Napier at this time given the extent of the damage still being dealt with from Cyclone Gabrielle and Shelton’s electorate was yet to be decided.
Writer of Sorts 