The alliance that so many political pundits said would never, could never and should never happen is happening and as someone who has worked hard at setting up political options to change the parliamentary math so that progressives can beat John Key in this years election, I’m pleased as hell that they are working together.
This alliance allows all the potential of what Kim Dotcom has initiated with his Internet Party to be fulfilled. It means no vote under 5% is wasted and the combined total support of the Internet Party and MANA Movement could easily breach 3% giving them a real shot at 4-5 MPs, that could be the difference between forming a Government for supply and confidence and not forming a Government.
This alliance gives MANA access to resources and technology they could never obtain, I’d expect to see MANA adopting the same type of phone app that has given the Internet Party such stratospheric membership numbers.
The two issues that will dominate the media in the run up to the election are inequality and the ongoing Snowden revelations, issues which are core to MANA and core to the Internet Party meaning their messages will find a willing electorate.
It’s taken time to get this alliance right and we will see an umbrella group option as the preferred structure. This allows working together while preserving the unique identities of each Party.
Hone will be the new leader of this party while the Internet Party will announce their very interesting choice for leader on Thursday. Membership of the new Party will need to be authenticated by the Electoral Commission alongside new name and logo while there will be a joint agreed platform for policy.
Parties will be entitled to their own independent party policies while any new policy will need to be consulted on. Both have refused to cut a deal with National and will meet first post election to devise a response to negotiate with.
Expect a massive focus on getting out the vote, online social media campaigns and a real fight in the Maori electorates.
Hone’s ability at negotiation and bridge building to find common ground and Kim’s drive to get rid of Key via a vision of a politicised internet electorate have been totally ignored by the majority of political pundits. Those pundits have written this off as a sell out marriage of convenience that 1) would never happen and 2) won’t work. Well those same mainstream media pundits have all been wrong about number 1, so let’s see how wrong they are about number 2 as well.
A Government of Labour, Green and NZ First with supply and confidence support from MANA/Internet Party alliance is preferable any day of the week to a Government of National, ACT, Conservative Party, Maori Party and United Future.
The audacity of this political co-operation will confound some on the Left and infuriate many on the Right – which suggests Hone and Kim have done something extraordinarily clever.
For the first time, this alliance provides the mathematical possibility of an MMP win for progressives so expect the backlash from Farrar, Whaleoil, Hooten, Ralston, Hosking, Espiner and Henry to be vicious.
I think the Mana/Internet party is good for the left as it will collect votes from people who would otherwise not vote at all, and sweep up votes that would otherwise be lost. I hope it gets the seats it is aiming for.
Vicious it will be, as heresies are a challenge to the status quo.
But, to quote Gary Hamel, “Today’s heresies are tomorrow’s dogmas.” so it’s going to be fascinating to see where this goes.
This has been done before by the Alliance, the memory hole is deep in NZ politics. Properly administered “ManaNet” or whatever has every chance of succeeding in minimising wasted left votes.
The tory media toadies will be needing extra suppositories and spinal implants to cope after todays announcement.
I wouldn’t expect a backlash, but do expect a bit of a laugh.
On current polling the two parties will get between 1 and 2 percent which might get them an additional member provided Hone wins Te Tai Tokerau. Presumably that would be the Internet Party leader.
The potential for this to go wrong is massive. Kim Dot Com could end up funding the Mana Party whilst at the same time defrauding creditors, security guards and nannies. The very people the Mana party claims to represent.
Dotcom is in this for one reason only – to block his extradition.
“Dotcom is in this for one reason only – to block his extradition.”
Simply being represented in Parliament will not at all guarantee Kim’s non-extradition. I suspect it has more to do with his loathing of John Key. Something he and I share. Hone too I suspect. They could just rename it to “The Fuck You John Key Party”. Probably get even more votes.
“The Fuck You John Key Party”?
Where do I send my donation?
I love it 🙂
Some on the Left will kick up a fuss, but I’ve learnt from experience that if one always takes the ‘moral high ground’ you end up looking like a prick.
As a member of both the MANA movement and the Internet Party, I’m all for this alliance because I see it helping our rangatahi and those marginalized by ‘mainstream’ political agendas. It’s sad to hear about Sue leaving, and that Annette is now 3. I think Annette should’ve been 1 on the list. Hone will win Tai Tokerau, and I truly believe Annette will get Waiariki.
Let the MMP Game of Thrones begin.
Unfortunately for you. lazy bludgers and economic illiterates like yourself make up a miniscule part of the electorate.
Sorry mate, Key wins 3 more years on Sept 20
Economic illiterates you say? Lazy bludgers you say?
You certainly have a rather high regard for yourself!I can only
assume you have few if any true relationships in your
evidently wretched emotionally void disagreeable prick.
Mark – worst troll ever. Quick reach for the beer mate or coke or what ever it is – that makes you think your funny.
Somewhat cynical outlook but I have to agree with you. Hahaaa.
Gandhi – “First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win.” Either way, it’s past the ignore step.
How exactly will this block his extradition? One could argue that challenging the status quo increases his chances.
Very interesting. Waiting for the reactions from the political right and neo-fascists.
Well, PP, the comments section of the announcement story won’t disappoint – 382 comments, the profile Mana is getting already is worth it. There is a lot of squirming going on as the cages get rattled.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/10088657/Mana-Internet-party-undermines-Maori-seats
Sue Bradford is quoted as, “Sucking up to German millionaires is not my vision of the future, and as I’ve said often enough before I think it’s a big mistake,” she said. If the millionaires (sic) were not German would that fit in her vision? Is her issue millionaires, German millionaires or a particular German millionaire who has a name? Seems petulant – and as for who is sucking up to whom – was it not the IP that approached Mana?
But it’s the tone of the article that gives it away. In a different universe the headline could be:
“Historic alliance formed between non-traditional allies”
The Mana Party that strongly advocates for dispossessed and disenfranchised Maori and pakeha has today signed an historic agreement with the Internet Party that has already shown a refreshing accessibility to the internet-savvy voter demonstrated by it reaching its 500 members in record time.
The possibility of young disaffected voters participating in democracy and advocating for social reform is causing concern amongst political incumbents. Te Ururoa Flavell, Maori Party leader, visibly angry said the merger undermined the Maori seats despite the Maori Party going into coalition with a party that has weak support amongst the constituents of the Maori electorates.
Once again, we see the diversity in representation that a proportional representation voting system can bring. National Party strategists may be ruing the decision to drop the recommendations of the Royal Commission on MMP, especially the coat tails provision.
And so on… but that’s the MSM we’ve got.
I think that it’s bloody FANTASTIC ! It’s quite clear that this exciting new combo party has the potential and ability to get a huge chunk of the “missing voters” off their butts when it counts, on voting day.
JK will be crying into his cornflakes on S21, wondering how the polls could have been SO wrong !
Sue Bradford has announced her resignation from the Mana Party (reported on Radio NZ).
I have a great deal of respect for Sue and whilst I don’t agree with her position, admire her for her courage, dedication, and integrity.
She will be a loss to the Mana movement.
The Internet Iscarriot Party cometh.
At least they went for more than thirty pieces of silver.
Anything that gets rid of that grinning creep and his cronies works for me!!!
On the positive side – I know where to put my votes now. Goodbye Mana, hello Greens.
Yes, I agree, I recently decided, I will sign up as a volunteer to support the Green Party’s campaign. Having done some leafleting for them before, I am happy to assist them, although I am not committed enough to become a member, because I do not agree with all their policies and positions.
For me there is presently no other party that I feel inclined to support, and it will only be due to no other candidate from another opposition party having any chance to beat the Labour candidate, that I will reluctantly give my electorate vote to the long serving Labour candidate and MP.
Mana may gain some votes, but will also lose a fair few, so we will have to watch the polls, which are not that reliable anyway, but they do at least show some “trends”.
We have to remember that many people vote on the basis of choosing a future leader as some kind of figurehead or father figure (NZ political history shows it). I don’t believe Cunliffe or Norman have what it takes in that department. But I believe Harawira does.
Yeah I’m actually encouraging people to swallow their pride and vote for their local Labour MP, simply because it’s the best way to make that Green or Mana party vote count!
I think that it is fabulous news. As long as they don’t do something silly like hiring a Political strategist/ commentator as their leader I am sure it will all go swimmingly.
Wonderful, wonderful news. The right will have a field day with this. Where oh where to start? The potential for ridicule is endless. The skeletons in the closet are plentiful. The right just need to time the dirt for the most damaging part of the electoral cycle LOL
Oh I DO HOPE you are the new Leader Martyn. Please say it is true…please. I am wetting my pants with excitement.
Most people I know who intend to vote for the internet party will laugh over their Saturday morning bong hits at any revelations from the blogger they refer to as ‘that dude who looks like the Warcraft guy from South Park’.
The thing about trying to shock or shame people into a respectability narrative is that it doesn’t work if they like to spend their time getting high and streaming American TV shows instead of drinking DB products and paying whatever price Sky TV names for their monopoly just to follow half a dozen Cable TV series a year. Fucks will not be given.
Duncan says the Leader of the Internet Party is NOT you Martyn. I am gutted, gutted! Damn, I am soooooooooo disappointed.
Juana – Your handler, Lusk, is calling you. It’s feeding time.
Jeeze Frank I thought Juana was doing a good job of making themselves look like the village idiot.
Quote: “This alliance gives MANA access to resources and technology they could never obtain, I’d expect to see MANA adopting the same type of phone app that has given the Internet Party such stratospheric membership numbers.”
Apps and “members” signed up at the push of a button may sound good, but those that choose their allegiance to parties in such easy ways, they may dispose of their membership just as quickly. And technology helps, but that and money alone will not necessarily lead to any gains, if the policies offered, and especially the candidates standing, do not convince and attract enough people to listen, and to vote.
I have a very uneasy feeling about this alliance, and seeing and hearing, how a fair few get so enthused, I must once again shake my head in disbelief, given the naivety of so many New Zealanders.
Has nobody followed the media about the large investment share portfolios shifted around in the Mega and other business ventures over recent weeks, taken note of what the prosecution summary by US authorities against Dotcom actually contained, asked questions about why Mona suddenly left her partner of years, apparently even leaving her children behind?
There were some comments by Wayne Tempero, and others, and there will be more to come, I am afraid. It looks to me like a desperate last effort by Dotcom to somehow attempt and influence the election, to throw Key out of office, which I would of course be happy with.
But although Hone’s reasoning may sound convincing, for Mana’s purposes and ambitions, I sense it is a party platform that will not last long. Vikram Kumar is a very different person when compared to Hone, they tick on different wave-lengths, and who knows for how long he will be there?
I will wait and see who will be the IP leading candidate, and my suspicions were, it may be Martyn himself. It appears it may not be, so we will see.
The money to finance Mana IP may be available at present, but what if the source suddenly dries up, as it is Mona Dotcom who has controls of Mega’s investment. What if the extradition happens, and when the “spiritual leader” of IP may leave? What if the US authorities will force a court order to freeze all assets of Dotcom and those involved in his enterprises and investments?
Apart from this, we have two different political poles join together, and it may be “exciting”, but I will follow all with some interest, but also sincere concern.
All one can say is “good luck” Mana IP.
Thomas Beagle.
😉
As long as sensible campaigning adds to the left party vote at the expense of the right-wing, and the increase in voter enrollment and voting (left), I’m interested in this. I will miss Sue Bradford’s influence. Careful avoidance of electoral seat damage is required, in all districts.
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