After Quilae Wong was enthusiastically clapped at the Opportunity Party gathering for dismissing my concerns about women’s sex-based rights, I realised that spontaneous clapping was as good a gauge as any of audience sentiment - although in my case, it was the equivalent of being booed. Rude.
Since I plan to attend more random political party campaign meetings I decided to largely ignore what the aspirants say (it’s all hot air until they’re in power anyway) and listen for the claps. If nothing else, it would tell me something about the audience and their concerns.
First up was former broadcaster Paul Henry and Tamaki candidate James Christmas at the St Heliers Bay School hall on a wet, stormy Friday night. Christmas is a barrister specialising in public law and national security. He looks 20 but is, in fact, 40 and has spent a decade working at the highest levels of the government, including as a senior adviser to Prime Ministers John Key and Bill English.
Tamaki is the electorate ACT won from National with a 38 per cent swing last election. They hope to repeat this in November.
The hall was packed. I thought 500, my friend guessed 1000 people. In any case, a lot. Doubtless there were many like us, there for the Paul Henry entertainment value. Some were probably not loyal ACT voters but maybe ACT-curious, Others may not even have been St Heliers Bay residents. We were, shockerooni, Out Of Suburb ourselves - something I generally try to avoid at all costs.
The woman next to me thought many present would have been disappointed National supporters, checking out the talent. “National have been so hopeless,” she said. Clearly, speaking for herself then.
Like most campaign meetings there was a predominance of older folk. Figures. As a rule older people vote. Young people don’t. But I also saw quite a few fathers in their 40s or 50s with young sons in tow. Mainly white, although it’s hard to say given the pallor of so many people identifying as Maori. Perhaps lots of camouflaged Maori were present. Also a distinctive Sikh chap in a bright pink turban. Dedicated.
The speeches by both Henry and Christmas were refreshingly upbeat, singing the praises of our nation, our history and our future, if the wrinkles are ironed out.
“No more working groups and commissions,” declared James Christmas. “They drive me nuts.” I cheered inwardly on hearing that.
It wasn’t until question time that the claps rang out. Audience questions had been sent in online, collated, selected and read out by an ACT official. “The executive summary of that is that some of the questions were shit,” said Henry. I knew there was a reason I had come to hear him. At any rate I hadn’t known about the online questions system so nothing on women’s sex-based rights from me.
The first question was echoed by a few voices. It was - “what are you going to do about the media?” Someone else chimed in “they’ve been against the coalition ever since they got in.” “Yeah, yeah,” echoed a few others.
Naturally as a former member of msm this reaction interested me. Plus at the end of my row sat an editor I recognised from Newsroom. He was busy taking notes - as I was. What did people like him think of such criticisms? My guess is that he would dismiss the concerns of old fuddy duddies in well-heeled Auckland. I hope I’m wrong.
Paul Henry pointed out there was nothing the government could do to the media. All print media and much of radio is privately owned. So don’t listen or give them your money is the answer to that. TVNZ costs the taxpayer nothing so what can the government do there? Henry believes the government should sell TVNZ but now is not the right time. He suggested waiting until it was turned around and worth more before putting it on the market. RNZ is taxpayer-funded. Henry admitted to being unsure if the government should fund one quality state broadcaster in the country.
He recommended the audience go on youtube and watch the recent interchange between Tova O’Brien and David Seymour. I recommend all those fed up with print media sign up to The Centrist, A free, neutral aggregated news service.
Then a question on co-governance. Henry’s response was firm and clear.
That earned A CLAP SO LOUD AND SO LONG, it told me this is the sleeper issue of this election, the one no one wants to confront publicly for fear of being called racist. But people like those at this meeting know what is happening to their country in the name of co-governance, Te Tiriti rights and/or race-based social justice and they don’t like it.
The next question was what would they do to reform the public service? James Christmas said he wanted a public service that would do what the government wants and doesn’t cost as much. BIG CLAP.
The question that followed broached the Climate Change Commission. “Abolish the Climate Change Commission because it’s a waste of money,” said Christmas. BIG CLAP.
“They’re a pack of twats,” said Henry. BIG CLAP. “In terms of the environment, we are top of the most conservative producers of dairy products globally. If we don’t produce these products, they will be doing it offshore and that will cause an even higher carbon footprint.” BIG CLAP.
The questions that followed were on the social media ban (“the problem is in the word ‘ban’. Useless policy from Labour for UN headlines”), intensification (“David Seymour was the only leader that opposed new residential standards”) and noisy drivers around the bays (“at the moment the law is too much in favour of the little brats”). James Christmas said the government was moving to get rid of car convoys. I checked later and learned that in June Parliament passed the Antisocial Road Use Legislation Amendment Act. It specifically creates a new offence of participating in an “intimidating convoy.” No clap though now that I understand it, I reckon it deserved one.
In fact there were no more claps until the end, when the final applause for an hour of humour and straight talking rang out.
Yvonne Van Dongen is a journalist, travel writer, playwright and non-fiction author. This article was first published HERE
Tamaki is the electorate ACT won from National with a 38 per cent swing last election. They hope to repeat this in November.
The hall was packed. I thought 500, my friend guessed 1000 people. In any case, a lot. Doubtless there were many like us, there for the Paul Henry entertainment value. Some were probably not loyal ACT voters but maybe ACT-curious, Others may not even have been St Heliers Bay residents. We were, shockerooni, Out Of Suburb ourselves - something I generally try to avoid at all costs.
The woman next to me thought many present would have been disappointed National supporters, checking out the talent. “National have been so hopeless,” she said. Clearly, speaking for herself then.
Like most campaign meetings there was a predominance of older folk. Figures. As a rule older people vote. Young people don’t. But I also saw quite a few fathers in their 40s or 50s with young sons in tow. Mainly white, although it’s hard to say given the pallor of so many people identifying as Maori. Perhaps lots of camouflaged Maori were present. Also a distinctive Sikh chap in a bright pink turban. Dedicated.
The speeches by both Henry and Christmas were refreshingly upbeat, singing the praises of our nation, our history and our future, if the wrinkles are ironed out.
“No more working groups and commissions,” declared James Christmas. “They drive me nuts.” I cheered inwardly on hearing that.
It wasn’t until question time that the claps rang out. Audience questions had been sent in online, collated, selected and read out by an ACT official. “The executive summary of that is that some of the questions were shit,” said Henry. I knew there was a reason I had come to hear him. At any rate I hadn’t known about the online questions system so nothing on women’s sex-based rights from me.
The first question was echoed by a few voices. It was - “what are you going to do about the media?” Someone else chimed in “they’ve been against the coalition ever since they got in.” “Yeah, yeah,” echoed a few others.
Naturally as a former member of msm this reaction interested me. Plus at the end of my row sat an editor I recognised from Newsroom. He was busy taking notes - as I was. What did people like him think of such criticisms? My guess is that he would dismiss the concerns of old fuddy duddies in well-heeled Auckland. I hope I’m wrong.
Paul Henry pointed out there was nothing the government could do to the media. All print media and much of radio is privately owned. So don’t listen or give them your money is the answer to that. TVNZ costs the taxpayer nothing so what can the government do there? Henry believes the government should sell TVNZ but now is not the right time. He suggested waiting until it was turned around and worth more before putting it on the market. RNZ is taxpayer-funded. Henry admitted to being unsure if the government should fund one quality state broadcaster in the country.
He recommended the audience go on youtube and watch the recent interchange between Tova O’Brien and David Seymour. I recommend all those fed up with print media sign up to The Centrist, A free, neutral aggregated news service.
Then a question on co-governance. Henry’s response was firm and clear.
“My bottom line is - ACT has a clear philosophy. Every New Zealander should be treated as equal under the law.”
That earned A CLAP SO LOUD AND SO LONG, it told me this is the sleeper issue of this election, the one no one wants to confront publicly for fear of being called racist. But people like those at this meeting know what is happening to their country in the name of co-governance, Te Tiriti rights and/or race-based social justice and they don’t like it.
The next question was what would they do to reform the public service? James Christmas said he wanted a public service that would do what the government wants and doesn’t cost as much. BIG CLAP.
The question that followed broached the Climate Change Commission. “Abolish the Climate Change Commission because it’s a waste of money,” said Christmas. BIG CLAP.
“They’re a pack of twats,” said Henry. BIG CLAP. “In terms of the environment, we are top of the most conservative producers of dairy products globally. If we don’t produce these products, they will be doing it offshore and that will cause an even higher carbon footprint.” BIG CLAP.
The questions that followed were on the social media ban (“the problem is in the word ‘ban’. Useless policy from Labour for UN headlines”), intensification (“David Seymour was the only leader that opposed new residential standards”) and noisy drivers around the bays (“at the moment the law is too much in favour of the little brats”). James Christmas said the government was moving to get rid of car convoys. I checked later and learned that in June Parliament passed the Antisocial Road Use Legislation Amendment Act. It specifically creates a new offence of participating in an “intimidating convoy.” No clap though now that I understand it, I reckon it deserved one.
In fact there were no more claps until the end, when the final applause for an hour of humour and straight talking rang out.
Yvonne Van Dongen is a journalist, travel writer, playwright and non-fiction author. This article was first published HERE
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