GUEST BLOG: Joe Trinder – How could Internet Mana ever work?

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Miriam Pierard & Joe Trinder 

The joining of the Internet Party and the Mana Movement in my opinion is a success.  A forward thinking decision made by our Executive who worked tirelessly to ensure the merger was voted as on as democratically as possible. I work in Information Technology and I’m Maori, so Internet Mana is a logical fit for me. How could Traditional Maori and the new generation of tech geeks work together?  Mana has never been a party afraid to challenge the status quo.

In Tamaki Makaurau we are doing our best to make it work with the Internet party and Mana Movement on the ground.  We have just started to find common ground where we could work in unison and share manpower, resources and knowledge with members from both parties.  The Internet Party candidate for Kelston Roshni Sami made contact with me around the 100 day left mark till Election Day so I invited her to a MANA branch meeting.  It was only too long before that was going to happen here in Tamaki, and later that month Roshni Joined MANA and is now a member. Since then we have been working daily to forge a bond between the two factions, after all we’re allies now.

Today Kim Dotcom, Laila Harré, Hone Harwira Annette Sykes, Te Hamua Nikora and all their support crew are on a bus tour from Kaitaia to Auckland will begin packing out town halls through the electorate of Te Tai Tokerau. That’s the groundswell you feel when people have had it and want to see change, and we’ve promised to fight hard for it. Were along way off from perfect unison, but we both have common goals, to get more representation for our respective parties into parliament to push our policies, to get rid of this Government and shift the power back to the people.

I’m optimistic about this relationship and while we have teething problems, all relationships take time to cultivate but I’ve already built a strong respect for my colleagues in the Internet party. We are working every day building this unusual relationship here in Tamaki Makaurau, but from what I can see, it’s working, and If it were ever a question of losing MANA, in my opinion, we gained some.

 

Joe Trinder – Ngāti Awa Born and born in Ōtepoti Ōtākou, Ex RNZN he is an Information Technology Analyst based in Mangere South Auckland.  MANA Tamaki Makaurau Chair and board member of the Manukau Urban Authority and Internet Mana Candidate for Manukau East. 

TDB Recommends NewzEngine.com

 

1 COMMENT

  1. Well done Joe, people have been waiting for this type of circuit breaker for a long time. The new Internet and newish Mana people that I have met at several actions seemed like real people not career opportunists or boring managerialists like so many politicians.

    Kaitaia “Roadshow” turnout would have been considered very good in any circumstances but in the middle of a storm and flood aftermath it was excellent. People there will talk to others, and get a bit of “yes we can” happening (not that I am a big Barrack O’Bomber supporter).

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