Who is “People Power”?
People Power (people-power@windowslive.com) is a stand alone, non-politically affiliated citizens lobby group that desires to see true democracy return to the people of New Zealand via repealing the Electoral Finance Act 2007, and a return to majority rule of the people, by the people. This process involves taking power out of the hands of minority MMP representative rulers, and placing this power back into the hands of the citizens of New Zealand.
People Power was born out of the decision by Labour, NZ First, Green, and Progressive Parties to pass the Electoral Finance Act 2007, an Act of Parliament designed to suppress personal freedom of expression, and to minimise public criticism of the incumbent Government.
Who is involved in People Power?
Any citizen of New Zealand who shares the desire to see true Democracy return to the people of New Zealand via a repeal of the Electoral Finance Act 2007, and a return to majority rule of the people, by the people, may join People Power, not by filling in a membership form or by paying a joining fee, but simply by choosing to make their own individual stand for true Democratic process in New Zealand, in whatever way they may feel is appropriate for them. All we would ask is that when they choose to make a stand (in whatever way they may choose to do), that nominate their stand as a stand for “People Power”.
Why did you throw a brick through the window of Prime Minister Helen Clarks Electoral office in Mt Albert, Auckland? Isn’t that an act of civil disobedience?
Prime Minister Helen Clark has been defiantly deaf to the rule of law (via authorising the passing of retrospective legislation for previously illegal acts) and deliberately dismissive of the voices of the majority of the people of New Zealand (via regularly ignoring the wishes of the majority of the Electorate).
The use of a brick symbolises the level of impact that will needed to be made in order for the people of New Zealand to once again secure the attention of our elected representatives, particularly Prime Minister Helen Clark.
People Power believe that a brick has more impact than a press release, and a brick is cheaper than a newspaper advertisement. A brick also doesn’t have to be registered as a third party.
Finally, a brick is also a preferred method of communication in an attempt to secure the attention of Prime Minister Helen Clark on the issue of Democracy, as opposed to the use of bullets and a bomb for the same purpose, as was the case with Benazir Bhutto, the slain leader of the Pakistan Peoples Party.
Yes, our actions against the Mt Albert office of the Auckland Labour Party was an act of civil disobedience (and we believe the first within the EFA restriction period), against the passing of the Electoral Finance Act 2007.
Do you have any other acts of civil disobedience planned between now and the 2008 General Election?
Yes.
How do we know that it was really you guys who hit the Mt Albert Labour Party office on New Years morning 2008?
Examine the brick. You will notice that it has a blackened corner on the top right hand side, signifying a postage stamp. If you scratch away at the white paint on the brick (which is enamel in texture), you will find that the brick has also been undercoated with black spray paint (gloss in texture). We could only know this information if we had first prepared the brick for delivery.
We wrote several messages on the brick as well, including:
“Repeal the E.F.A.”
“Hey Helen, does this qualify as a terrorist act?”
“Electoral Finance Act: R.I.P. Democracy 2007”
“Register this as a third party”
“To: Labour, NZ First, Greens, UFNZ, Progressive, From: People of NZ”
How can we contact you?
Our email address is people-power@windowslive.com
January 2, 2008 at 7:19 pm
Way to fucking go people, stuff the crown of Helen Clark; corrupt bastards
January 4, 2008 at 10:22 pm
Why do you guys think it is OK for the rich to buy election campaigns?
Big money has no place in our elections. Ever.
Brendon: the actual “big money” is in the relative spend chart illustrated on this site. In order for you to be consistent in your argument, you must by default support all political parties having to raise their own money, without dipping into the multi-million dollar public purse. You must also decry the retrospective legislation enacted by the current Govt, that made their 2005 rort of the Election (illegal) a legal act. ACT spent more money per head of vote then any other party, and only secured 2 seats, putting paid to the “money buys elections” argument. Labour spent the most, yet secured seats out of all proportion to their spend. Big money? How about free student loans? How about WFF? You see Brendon, a Government cannot give us what it has not already taken from us.
People Power
January 5, 2008 at 12:56 am
And whats wrong with free student loans or WFF? If you feel way you do about those things, then you will feel the same way about public schools and hospitals and police, roads, and defence, etc….
A: How many of these initiatives were the people of NZ consulted on? Is the important question here. There is policy, and then there is “money for votes” – you also need to define the difference between neccessity (eg roads), and bribe (free student loans).
They are all social goods that benefit all in society, and not just the few (like tax cuts for the rich).
A: Define “social good” as this is a very subjective statement – BTW, Labour is now an enthusiastic champion of tax cuts – and BTW, most tax is paid by those most able to afford it – without “the rich”, the “poor would be even worse off.
I dont see how a large party can enlist huge corporate donors and lobby groups to spend large amounts of money while a small party has to make do with sausage sizzles and the like.
A: Huge doners like Unions, Owen Glenn, Otara Flea Market, retrospective legislation, South Auckland churches – yeah, those huge donors are everywhere, aren’t they? Want an equal playing field = no public purse to pillage. What place personal choice for anyone to spend their money with whoever they like? If money buys elections – what the hell happened to ACT?
Do you really want an American style situation where those with the most money can have the most influence? Do you really want your voice to be drowned out by those who can afford to shout the loudest?
A: Study the origins of Democracy, and have a look at the recent Iowa caucus. Obama and Huckabee both won – with smaller budgets (in Huckabees case, smaller by several million dollars). Our evidence of reality will trump your pursuit of ideology every time Brendon.
The EFB is not an attack on democracy.
A: Wrong.
Why dont you go to Pakistan or Zimababwe to see what an attack on democrasy is really like? I can tell you, you would be rotting in some prison cell getting the crap beaten out of you every night if you ran this website in Zimbabwe, in China you would get a bullet in your brain. In North Korea you would be in a labour camp.
A: And in NZ, the Govts shut down websites (like in China) of those who disagree with them. The only difference is that Pakistan and Zimbabwe are a little further ahead of NZ in terms of an attack on Democracy. Better that someone like us attempts to intervene before we start going at each other with machetes (as in Kenya), don’t you think?
Why dont you say who you are and what party you are afflitated to?
A: Try learning to read. We are a stand alone, non-politically affiliated citizens lobby group, concerned not about “parties” and much more about NZ democractic process, which we believe is in a dire way.
Why dont you say you want to get rid of public schools and hospitals and ban trade unions and slash wages, because if you oppose the EFB you also want to do those things as well.
A: Because that would be affirming a number of erroneous assumptions on your part.
Why dont you say that you are a far right group dedicated to imposing pentecostal fundamentialisim and neo-liberal social darwinsim on society, because those are the kinds of people who want to scrap the law.
A: Because that is who you would like us to be (which we are not), and that way, you could simply put a label on us, and then dismiss us. Brendon, we are “People Power” – ordinary Joe and Jane averages who have NEVER broken the law before. We are no-one special, just a bunch of NZ’ers who love our country, and have had enough of our democratic rights being eroded. We claim no political, religious, or ideological allegiance – which is why the GOVT is staying silent on us – they can’t position us and then dismiss us, without alienating the people of NZ in the process.
Family First, who seek to impose intorelance and bigotry, as well as state sanctioned violence by those in authority, and protect middle class child abusers, as well as ban sex and tell women what to do with their bodies.
A: Crikey Brendon – that is not very “tolerant” of you is it? Hope that you are not wanting to “impose” your worldview onto Family First?
The Sensible Sentencing Trust, who want to eliminate crime by creating a police state and throwing people in prison for 20-25 years for stealing a piece of bread. The same trust who wants to creat a kiwi version of the American prison industrial complex, and using the victims of violent crime as a soapbox for his agenda. Note their silence about the beating to death of Liam Ashley. Or the fact that prisoner on prisoner assaults are at an all time high. It is of note that the SST support private prisons. Tell me, have you ever wondered how they get their money? Well, lets just say if I was a private prison company wanting to set up here, I would donate lots of money to the SST, who will support National, who in turn will privatise our prison system. There you go, a good reason to support the EFA.
A: Sounds all a bit “conspiracy theory” to us – from memory, the most successful prison to run in NZ (ever) was arsed out by the Greens a few years back.
And of course there is the ususal likes of the business rountable, etc, who want to finish off where Roger, Ruth and Bill started all those years ago.
A: Bloody hell Brendon, is there anyone you don’t hate?
Big Money is no friend of democracy. Most of the coups that have taken place in recent times have had big corporates with their deep pockets behind them. Behind every cigar smokeing sunglass wearing dictator in a generals uniform is a big Wall Street corporate fat cat pulling his strings, look at Pinochet, the Shah of Iran, the House of Saud, the list is endless.
A: Cite your source for what at first glance appear to be quite ridiculous statements.
As for state funding of political parties, what is wrong with that?
A: What is wrong with it is that the citizen does not get a choice in the matter.
Nothing, because it gives everybody a level playing field and equal oppurtunity to put their ideas across.
A: Party A has 2 MP’s, Party B has 47 MP’s: question, do they get the same amount of state funding? A: No, thus, no level playing field, using your example.
Combined with the fact that parties should only be able to finance themselves by the dues gained from their members (so none of your hated unions can give either), this will provide for geninue democracy, not the pseudo-paid advertising market that you want democracy to be.
A: Tell us Brendon – who are YOU affiliated with?
January 5, 2008 at 3:40 am
Happy New Year people power
First things first. You guys or girls are bloody awesome. On New Years Eve. I was sitting in my chair, staring at my can of Jim beam. Thinking what we as people was in for.
Re Government. Then came a shining light. Or maybe it was a head light from a scooter. Crash bang boom Wow! A brick through Helen Clark’s window. Watch out knight rider. There was a woman out buying drugs off her neighbour. She claims she saw you. To mistake a scooter for a cat. There’s some really good acid man.
I could not dream of a better start to my new year. But wait. People power, you need to do more. Helen has not come out swinging, or is that (swinger). She has gladly lifted her nose, turned her back and walk away. Or maybe she is playing Ostrich.
Maybe her head is not in the sand. Maybe it is in a woman’s rug. We should be calling Helen, the rug doctor. As seen on TV.
What I want to know people power? Is why the voters of labour, voted for her. She has clearly shown us that, she is incapable of making a decision that reflects in the best interests of the New Zealand public. Re smacking, fireworks and finance bill. What is next? And you can’t tell me that she was picked because of her looks. If that is the case Wow! You mean to tell me that, half the population of New Zealand voters are inbreed. Looking at Helen. That makes perfectly good sense.
Also People power. I am currently a Black Power member. I want to change my patch for a People Power patch. Is this in any way possible?
Thanks people power and I look forward to any up and coming events.
January 5, 2008 at 9:52 pm
People Power
Brendon Mills Says:
January 5, 2008 at 12:56 am
And whats wrong with free student loans or WFF? If you feel way you do about those things, then you will feel the same way about public schools and hospitals and police, roads, and defence, etc….
A: How many of these initiatives were the people of NZ consulted on? Is the important question here. There is policy, and then there is “money for votes” – you also need to define the difference between neccessity (eg roads), and bribe (free student loans)..
A: Define “social good” as this is a very subjective statement – BTW, Labour is now an enthusiastic champion of tax cuts – and BTW, most tax is paid by those most able to afford it – without “the rich”, the “poor would be even worse off.
I dont see how a large party can enlist huge corporate donors and lobby groups to spend large amounts of money while a small party has to make do with sausage sizzles and the like.
A: Huge doners like Unions, Owen Glenn, Otara Flea Market, retrospective legislation, South Auckland churches – yeah, those huge donors are everywhere, aren’t they? Want an equal playing field = no public purse to pillage. What place personal choice for anyone to spend their money with whoever they like? If money buys elections – what the hell happened to ACT?
Do you really want an American style situation where those with the most money can have the most influence? Do you really want your voice to be drowned out by those who can afford to shout the loudest?
A: Study the origins of Democracy, and have a look at the recent Iowa caucus. Obama and Huckabee both won – with smaller budgets (in Huckabees case, smaller by several million dollars). Our evidence of reality will trump your pursuit of ideology every time Brendon.
The EFB is not an attack on democracy.
A: Wrong.
Why dont you go to Pakistan or Zimababwe to see what an attack on democrasy is really like? I can tell you, you would be rotting in some prison cell getting the crap beaten out of you every night if you ran this website in Zimbabwe, in China you would get a bullet in your brain. In North Korea you would be in a labour camp.
A: And in NZ, the Govts shut down websites (like in China) of those who disagree with them. The only difference is that Pakistan and Zimbabwe are a little further ahead of NZ in terms of an attack on Democracy. Better that someone like us attempts to intervene before we start going at each other with machetes (as in Kenya), don’t you think?
Why dont you say who you are and what party you are afflitated to?
A: Try learning to read. We are a stand alone, non-politically affiliated citizens lobby group, concerned not about “parties” and much more about NZ democractic process, which we believe is in a dire way.
Why dont you say you want to get rid of public schools and hospitals and ban trade unions and slash wages, because if you oppose the EFB you also want to do those things as well.
A: Because that would be affirming a number of erroneous assumptions on your part.
Why dont you say that you are a far right group dedicated to imposing pentecostal fundamentialisim and neo-liberal social darwinsim on society, because those are the kinds of people who want to scrap the law.
A: Because that is who you would like us to be (which we are not), and that way, you could simply put a label on us, and then dismiss us. Brendon, we are “People Power” – ordinary Joe and Jane averages who have NEVER broken the law before. We are no-one special, just a bunch of NZ’ers who love our country, and have had enough of our democratic rights being eroded. We claim no political, religious, or ideological allegiance – which is why the GOVT is staying silent on us – they can’t position us and then dismiss us, without alienating the people of NZ in the process.
Family First, who seek to impose intorelance and bigotry, as well as state sanctioned violence by those in authority, and protect middle class child abusers, as well as ban sex and tell women what to do with their bodies.
A: Crikey Brendon – that is not very “tolerant” of you is it? Hope that you are not wanting to “impose” your worldview onto Family First?
A: Sounds all a bit “conspiracy theory” to us – from memory, the most successful prison to run in NZ (ever) was arsed out by the Greens a few years back.
A: Bloody hell Brendon, is there anyone you don’t hate?
A: Cite your source for what at first glance appear to be quite ridiculous statements.
As for state funding of political parties, what is wrong with that?,
A: What is wrong with it is that the citizen does not get a choice in the matter.
A: Party A has 2 MP’s, Party B has 47 MP’s: question, do they get the same amount of state funding? A: No, thus, no level playing field, using your example.
A: Tell us Brendon – who are YOU affiliated with
January 7, 2008 at 9:08 pm
Waiting for your reply…
PP: And we are still waiting for an answer from you – i.e. who are YOU affiliated with?
January 8, 2008 at 11:01 pm
As I said before, I am not a member of any political party or group. I just vote for left-wing parties.
PP: OK. So you would support the right of people to protest, because left wind parties most certainly do?
January 9, 2008 at 10:36 pm
Well, of course….just dont expect me to agree with them all the time. If you want to march in support of big money buying elections, go for. I wont be marching with you…
February 9, 2008 at 4:40 am
Way to go folks.
‘When justice is gone, there’s always force’
Helen is a tyrant in waiting.
PP: Thanks for that. We are frankly amazed that our critics see nothing wrong with the current Govt trouncing the rule of law via retrospective legislation (twice) and the anti-democractic EFA, yet give us a hard time for direct action protest. We hope that, eventually, enough citizens of this country awaken from their slumber, and start to reclaim their freedom from the state – perhaps not all NZ’ers have been neutered?