5 reasons why anyone identifying as Left with a capital L should party vote Internet MANA

By
Martyn Bradbury
-
22
1

Screen Shot 2014-09-12 at 4.38.28 am

There are 5 reasons why anyone identifying as Left with a capital L should consider casting their party vote for Internet MANA this election.

1 – Feed the Kids: There is no excuses now that National have flirted with the idea of blowing $500million a year on tax cuts that will amount to an extra block of cheese each week, to not fund MANAs Feed the Kids policy. At $100million per year, every hungry kid in every poor school would get fed. Feeding hungry children would have more of an impact to lift the poorest out of need than any other single policy we could adopt. The inequality in our country is simply not acceptable and  we must make immediate amends on that front.   To blame the parents and tie hungry children to their inability to feed them is a selfish trick to deny any obligation from wider society. It’s a false assertion in the first place, the pittance paid to those on the bottom of the heap is designed to keep them hungry. It’s not Social welfare, it’s social punishment.

That could be alleviated immediately by feeding hungry kids in the poorest schools. We can do this, we should do this, we must do this.

Reasons 2, 3, 4 and 5 are Hone Harawira, Laila Harre, Annette Sykes and John Minto. If you are Left with a capital L, the idea of 4 of NZs leading civil rights activists and politicians all being in Parliament is possibly one of the most exciting events for progressive politics this country has ever seen. The force for change those 4 could generate inside the House alongside an ongoing campaign to stamp out child poverty in 5 years is worth getting up for every day for.

Advance voting is now 118,975 compared to 46 306 this time last election. Vote today.

RELATED ARTICLESMORE FROM AUTHOR

22 COMMENTS

  1. “Māori, working class, and proud.”
    Where did that come from? Don’t we have enough trouble getting over people’s presumption that it’s a Māori party somehow disconnected from the wider community?
    When people see that byline, you won’t have a chance to explain it away.

    • Why shouldnt the maori working class be proud? Or are people of certain persuasion only comfortable with the headlines ‘ maori make up ?% of the prison population’?
      I never want to be identified as a kiwi I am Tangatawhenua! Internet Mana have my vote.

      • That’s not my point.

        “The mission of the MANA Movement is to bring rangatiratanga to the poor, the powerless and the dispossessed” and “support Te Tiriti o Waitangi as the basis of the New Zealand Constitution.”

        That is a vision for all people of Aotearoa.

        But many Pākeha assume it is for Māori only, and therefore don’t even look at how they can be a part of it. Why feed that confusion so they feel excluded?

        • I’m a pakeha and have no problem with the slogan. ‘Maori, working class ” are clearly separate but not exclusive categories. It doesn’t say “working class Maori”.

      • It’s exclusionary wording, subtly telling everyone that is not both Maori and working class that this party does not represent them and that they should look elsewhere.

        It might not be true to their policies, but what you pick as you’re motto counts.

  2. I’m LEFT with an enormous capital L. However I have already voted and given my party vote to NZ Greens as I have been doing for many years.

    I live in a blue Natsy electorate (Rodney). Didn’t have the choice of voting any way for the Internet Maori Party, because unfortunately it isn’t an option here! If it had been, I think I might have been tempted to give it my party tick.

    Despite Dirty Politics, I’m gobsmacked people in my electorate will still vote National and FJK! What is the matter with some Kiwis? Are they completely devoid of all morals and principles? WTF?

    Heard Winston Peters on the radio this morning commenting about NZ First being on 8% in the latest poll. He said it’s because people are turning away from the Natsies because of the dirty politics revelations, going to NZ First. BUT that said, he still won’t say which party he will support after the election!

    If Winston is still unsure, it means he will consider supporting the Natsies and FJK! So that point alone makes him as dirty as FJK and the rest of the filthy Natsies!

    • the reason why you could not vote for Internet Maori is because there is no such party contesting these elections and therefore not on the ballot papers, however if you had stopped and looked for a second you would have seen a party called the Inertnet Mana party on the ballot and you could if wanted voted for them like every other person that votes this election.

      every ballot paper no matter what electorate you are in has Internet Mana on it.

  3. If anyone cant get past the Maori bit and think about kids of all races,…well that’s sad then…

    This policy isn’t just for one group as you well know , its a kick start for all. Its high time it was put as one of the most important things on the table. Well done IMP !!!

    • Yes, we know that, but far too many do not, and it is sad.

      But are we content look down on ignorance? Or do we recognise it as part of the disease we are fighting and make every effort to provide a path out?

      My original question was, “where did that come from?” I haven’t seen Mana promoting itself in those terms, and am not sure they want to, which is why I ask.

  4. As much as I like IMP the founding principles the Greens are arguably more Left than Internet Mana. To quote the Green Charter:

    The Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand accepts Te Tiriti o Waitangi as the founding document of Aotearoa New Zealand; recognises Maori as Tangata Whenua in Aotearoa New Zealand;

    and commits to the following four Principles:

    Ecological Wisdom: The basis of ecological wisdom is that human beings are part of the natural world. This world is finite, therefore unlimited material growth is impossible. Ecological sustainability is paramount.

    Social Responsibility: Unlimited material growth is impossible. Therefore the key to social responsibility is the just distribution of social and natural resources, both locally and globally.

    Appropriate Decision-making: For the implementation of ecological wisdom and social responsibility, decisions will be made directly at the appropriate level by those affected

    Non-Violence: Non-violent conflict resolution is the process by which ecological wisdom, social responsibility and appropriate decision making will be implemented. This principle applies at all levels.

    • “The internet party and their hipster candidates with no experience or qualifications?
      ‘ Really? Have you not noticed that Laila Harre is the Internet Party leader? And what exactly is ‘hipster’?

    • Hipster?? Hahahaha, we are living in the 21st century and Internet/Mana are living in the 21st century, what about you?

    • TeAtatuTim – I met Laila Harre in the 1990s when we were both working in the Alliance.

      She’s a straight-up person and with probably more honesty and integrity than half of Parliament’s MPs combined.

      Funny how this country has as it’s most popular leader a person with a record of telling lies; bending the truth; misrepresenting issues, and recently uncovered the biggest political scandal since whenever – and yet people with integrity are smeared and derided at every opportunity.

      I guess it’s true. We do get the government we deserve.

  11. I’ve been a Green Party member and voter since the start, sometime in the early 90s. I still have campaign materials as souvenirs of Alliance days. I have always lived as green as I could, and I still support their ideals. Not this election, though. Maybe not ever again. Not even a member now.

    I’m fervently behind Internet/Mana now!

    I liked the Internet Party from the start, because I’ve moved ever farther Left over the years and because they were standing up against the illegitimate use of power and looking towards the future.

    Then I was shocked and outraged when the Greens voted for the most scurrilous piece of legislation I’ve ever seen – as bad as the US Patriot Act: The Validation of Kaipara Rates and Other Matters Bill. It is so despicably wrong in so many ways, I can’t begin to explain it here. But the Greens made (bad) excuses and voted for it instead of taking the principled stand I expected from them.

    Only Winston Peters and Hone Harawira spoke against it, and for me the rest of Parliament is still covered with the slime they dove into when they supported lawbreakers and the banks and simultaneously repudiated some of the most solemn promises made by Parliament to the people. They are letting insider and corporate crooks go free with the millions of dollars that innocent people are being forced to pay for debts secretly and illegally laid on them for nothing in return.

    So you can bet I was overjoyed when the Internet Party (whose policies speak directly to my personal interests) came up with
    Laila Harre, whom I have great faith in, and got together with Hone’s party, when he had just proved his integrity by standing almost alone against the Kaipara Validation Bill.

    My thanks and appreciation also to Winston, who would surely otherwise get my vote, but there is an even better match on the ballot for *all* my concerns: INTERNET/MANA.

    This is the first time in my life that I have had a chance to vote for a Party that really *wants* to bring about a positive change in the world, and I’m not going to miss the chance!

Comments are closed.