"Hey, Gary, after talking to you last week, we loved the idea so much that we joined ACT and got two of our friends to do the same!"
More than at any other time in New Zealand's history, now is the time for its citizens to participate in the democratic process. While casting your vote is central to the democratic process, one further step that most of us neglect is to get involved in the party processes of our democracy. Being involved at the political party level is as essential as voting because, at this level, they formulate policy and choose their candidates for Members of Parliament.
If you don't like the menu of policies and the candidates on offer, get involved at the party level, beginning with the simplest of actions: Joining the political party that best fits your values and aspirations, then making your views known to its members and leadership. Of course, you can take things further by standing for office within a party, but change will still happen with this simple measure of joining your party of choice and when we do so in sufficient numbers.
The ACT Party is the choice of a growing number of people. When we read ACT's constitution, we realise it was written all those years ago almost in anticipation of today's politics: it is near-perfect for those who treasure freedom, an individual's sovereignty and dislike Government overreach and irresponsible spending. Moreover, ACT will inevitably determine who will hold the Treasury Benches after next year's elections. So if we want to improve things, we had better have our friends at the coalition negotiating table.
Furthermore, ACT is already in Parliament, and, with our assistance, its numbers of MPs will increase at the next election, thus giving us a better say in our children's future.
"Hi Gary, this is the most uplifting and sensible bit of news I’ve had for a long time. Ensuring that Seymour et al. understand the massive potential vote winning this deal could bring needs to be tempered with their understanding of the responsibilities accompanying any such engagement".
Since December last year, many like-minded, freedom-loving people have joined the ACT Party, thus quietly bringing about subtle shifting within the party and broader politics. You may have noticed changes for the better happening in ACT's position on issues of freedom and accountability. In the last week, their leader, David Seymour, called for an inquiry into the Government's response to the COVID Pandemic and the reinstatement of mandated health workers.
The "Butterfly" or "Ripple" Effect
During the 1970s, the Transcendental Meditation (TM) movement theorised that if it got a small but critical mass of people meditating for peace and harmony, then the entirety of humanity would shift with them, thus bringing peace and harmony to the world. I liked the idea because it works: Look at athletics and scientific discoveries and inventions, such as the almost parallel inventions of electricity, the radio, or the lightbulb by individuals working independently, sometimes continents apart. Yet, a century later, experts still argue over who was first. In short, time after Roger Bannister did the impossible by running a mile in less than four minutes, breaking the four-minute barrier became an ever-increasing achievement by others because positive thoughts told them it was possible. Today, the impossible challenge is to break the world record, which now stands at 3:43:13. Positive thinking is infectious!
While it looks like TM failed to bring about world peace, the idea remains valid: They failed because they did not get the numbers - the critical mass needed to change the world for the better. When it comes to restoring our democracy and improving on it, we can do it. Still, we must have the numbers - the critical mass - and all working in unison, like TM, thinking similar positive thoughts and acting in unison for peace and harmony.
Our positive goal by next year's elections is to make ACT the largest political party by membership and gain a critical mass of around 20% of the vote. Thus, ACT becomes the "King-Maker", determining which party governs and has its say in policy through the all-important negotiation of a binding Coalition Agreement.
"If you don't like the Establishment, then become the Establishment".
Hence: The Democracy Project is born! Act now!
Please share this flyer with everyone - make it go viral!
Here is the pdf version for you to share, download and print off:
In New Zealand, we have been experiencing the rush to centralise power and remove our voices at the local levels (Think of Three Waters, Co-Governance, and the dissolution of Area Health Boards as examples). Did you vote for any of this?
I always thought of New Zealand as the safest, most accessible and healthiest place on Earth to live and raise a family: I thought of New Zealand as the least corrupt of all nations and a country where we all had the ears of our MP's. I thought we could freely speak about what is on our minds without fear of repression. Sadly, these are no more: We no longer have MP's that listen to us or work for our best interests, and we no longer have a functioning 4th Estate: Instead, it seems we are scurrying towards what is a repressive corporate-communist surveillance state, ruled by a handful of wealthy elites. The Great Reset is no longer a conspiracy theory: Using the slogan, "Build Back Better", the World Economic Forum (WEF) and other elites are full-on with implementing plans for an oppressive one-world government with just one-tenth of the current human population remaining. They call these plans the Great Rest, Agenda 2030 and the Fourth Industrial Revolution, designed to break down society and its democratic institutions, then "Build Back Better"; neither you nor I have a say in this! What they think is better is not my idea of better!
Just who are our leaders working for? Not for us!
So, if they won't listen and if you can't beat them, then join them in sufficient numbers to bring about positive change.
Things to consider about your role in NZ politics:
Democracy is not just about casting a vote every three years; it includes being active within the party system at the local and national levels. Democracy means joining the political party of your preference, getting involved and influencing its attitudes, policies and who stands to represent you in Parliament.
The recent Tauranga by-election and the Australian Federal Elections were sobering: Despite having ample popular support, the "freedom" candidates and parties split the vote and fought over the scraps with no success, other than a bit of publicity.
A vote for a candidate who does not get a seat in Parliament, or a party that fails to get past the 5% threshold, is a vote wasted: Therefore, take care when deciding which party and which candidate gets your vote - make your votes count!
If you have a "freedom" candidate in your Electorate who you are confident will get in by the popular vote, then vote for them no matter which party they represent.
However, it would be best if you chose a party you are sure will succeed in getting at least one person into Parliament. If not, then you are wasting your time and your vote.
Minor parties unlikely to make it past the 5% Party Vote threshold would be better off amalgamating under a single banner, or better still, joining forces with a party like ACT and aiming for a collective 20% or more of the Party Votes.
If you dislike a party like ACT because of its past actions or policies, joining it and becoming an active member is one way to change its culture and policies.
However, you do not have to join ACT to make a difference: The main thing is to join the party that best represents your politics: We need friends in every party. There are enough of us to make a real difference at the political party level!
Why ACT?
This correspondent expresses a common sentiment about ACT:
"David Seymour has done nothing in the past two years to counter the government spin. On the contrary, he was very vocal in calling for harsh penalties on those who chose not to get vaxxed - and where was he during the occupation of parliament grounds?"
I won't apologise for anything David Seymour may have said and done in the past, be they justified or not. However, whether we like him or not, we must focus on protecting and strengthening our democracy - the freedoms and rights of all citizens - and becoming ACT is the best way to ensure our success. One thing that is unique to politicians and chameleons is that they are the only creatures that can change their spots, and it is apparent that David Seymour's spots are changing for the better.
The Democracy Project aims to restore fundamental freedoms, have an independent inquiry into the mandates, re-establish a free press, regain energy and food security and so on. In that case, we need representation far exceeding 5% of the vote. We need 20%. 5% won't cut it, and nothing will change for the better, only for the worst. For these reasons, we need to bury the hatchet over past insults and build unity with those who we may not typically support during good times. We now have a common enemy and shared goals, the most important being restoring our independence, unity, democracy, and prosperity.
I'll reiterate: You do not need to join ACT for this to succeed, although ACT is the key, and we need the numbers to take it well past the 5% threshold: every digit over 5% means more MPs - many of them - each extra MP is a potent bonus! The main thing is to act now to support the political party that best reflects your values and which you are confident will get people into Parliament who are passionate about democracy.
There is no reason why ACT can not enter into a coalition with one or more minor parties should they be successful at the polls, but we must take great care not to fragment the vote and end up with next to no representation in the House of Representatives.
Make this a Super-Spreader Event
The Democracy Project is one super-spreader event for you to embrace. Delightfully, it is already a success, with many people grabbing and running with it by joining ACT since December last year, such that our numbers within the party are now significant. So let's build on it!
Together we will restore full democracy, freedom and prosperity to this beautiful and peaceful land. If not, I fear this country will be torn apart and impoverished by evil interests that thrive on causing division and hatred.
Think about it:
Irresponsible spending is sending us into bankruptcy. The Government has borrowed and spent over $70 billion on this pandemic, with no productive outcomes. But, unfortunately, the spending is far from over.
Transmission Gulley cost us $1.25 billion: Think of what we could have done with $70 billion: 50 more Transmission Gulley infrastructure projects, we could have built new hospitals with the best equipment, we could have put modern medical clinics in every provincial town, with free medical care, and trained thousands more health professionals and be paying them well - the possibilities are endless, and how much better off would we all be? $70 billion goes a long way with five million people, and think what that would have done for our collective health and welfare!
Instead, they have mortgaged the lives of our grandchildren to the maximum for no benefit. At the same time, inflation runs rampant, our country is divided and gripped with fear, and 100,000 of our best people have fled this country since the borders reopened just a few months ago. It is time to halt this insanity, and the Democracy Project is the most promising strategy.
Actions to take:
Preferably join ACT or another party that best reflects your politics and get two of your friends to do the same. We must take care to concentrate rather than dilute our influence. Join as a Full Voting Member: https://www.act.org.nz/support_us
If you joined ACT, forward proof of joining the party (the email from ACT). Please send it to democracyproject@proton.me While I'm not monitoring this email, please do this as insurance for collective action later, if needed.
Please consider being active within your chosen party, such as attending branch meetings, actively conversing with members and even standing for office. These simple actions are how we collectively shift the culture within.
Regardless of your level of activity within the party, identify and support those members and candidates standing for office, including Parliament, who share similar views to you.
Please take note:
I am not active within any parties and keep a distance from all of them, their leaders and MPs, to remain impartial. While I joined ACT some months ago, this was a "test run" to check the process. I'll happily resign if requested.
The Democracy Project has no membership or administration.
I've planted the seed for this idea: It is now fertilised and watered by good vibes. It will flourish or die by its merits, relying entirely on you and other good people to nurture and grow it from here on.