ACT's Astroturfing & A Co-ordinated Attack on Te Pati Māori
Attempts To Paint The Hīkoi & Its Supporters As Unworthy / Artificially Contrived
Unity on the Streets / Unity at the Table
After the Hīkoi, all three right wing Coalition leaders came together to push the idea that the 42,000 - 50,000 + strong Hikoi was somehow less potent and brave, and more illegitimate than the energy and crowd displayed.
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon
20-November:
RNZ Morning Report: “Why did you not talk to them [Hikoi]. This was clearly, arguably, the largest protest in a generation, if not ever, on Parliament steps. You chose not to engage.”
Luxon: “Yeah um look, the organisers themselves are very closely aligned with Te Pati Māori..
…and frankly I also engage and continue to engage Iwi leaders up and down the country..”
On engaging with Iwi up and down the country
This is the same Prime Minister whose government repealed 7AA, a law designed to protect and provide better outcomes to our most vulnerable tamariki - disproportionately Māori.
Evidence was presented that a repeal would lead to systematic inequality and roll back years of positive progress and protections for many Māori children.
Iwi leaders and Māori, including Te Pati Māori, pleaded with the government not to do it.
And they were not alone - esteemed testimonies rolled in from figures such as Starship hospital directors, former NZ First Childrens’ Minister Tracy Martin, Chair of the Child Protection for Paediatric Society of New Zealand, academics, social investment experts - as well as the government’s own Ministries and data.
In contrast, ACT provided zero evidence for their claims that 7AA contributed to inappropriate child uplifts.
Te Pati Māori’s impassioned pleas in the House on 7AA were roundly ignored by the government, and instead, the responsible Minister, Karen Chhour took the opportunity to turn attention to herself - breaking down in front of media after a Te Pati Māori MP said during a debate in the House:
“E te Minita, ka aroha ki a koe kua karetaohia e tō pāti. Kia kaha rā”
[To the Minister, how sad that you have been made a puppet by your party. Be strong.]
Luxon’s government heard all the evidence and testimony but repealed 7AA anyway.
At the time, Associate Professor Emily Keddell said:
“The real aim of the repeal of Section 7AA is to remove Treaty references”
Therefore, the engagement point seems to be cover for Luxon - and fails to capture good faith on his part.
After the inevitable repeal, Te Pati Māori shared their community’s bitter disappointment at the government actions.
But this week, ostensibly, the Prime Minister’s reason for not meeting with the 50,000 + strong crowd (42,000 from official police notes) was it was organised by folks affiliated with Te Pati Māori - the only Māori political party in New Zealand who are singularly championing Māori causes.
Labour leader Chris Hipkins said Luxon dismissing the hīkoi as a protest solely by Te Pāti Māori was "pathetic".
"It shows he's either arrogant or out of touch or potentially both,"
Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters
20-November:
Not to be outdone, Winston Peters accused the hīkoi of illegitimacy both in the House, and on social media -
He notes the organiser’s Te Pati Maori affiliations and goes on to call the Hikoi Te Tiriti a “political stunt” full of “faux outrage”.
For those of you who are not familiar with the term, astroturfing is the deceptive practice of hiding the sponsors of an orchestrated message or organization (e.g., political, advertising, religious, or public relations) to make it appear as though it originates from, and is supported by, unsolicited grassroots participants.1
The implication behind the use of the term is that instead of a "true" or "natural" grassroots effort behind the activity in question, there is a "fake" or "artificial" appearance of support, when, in reality, that support is lacking.2
It’s often used on the internet where organisations create fake profiles or employ internet farms to use fake accounts to post opinions / disinformation.
The key element behind such campaigns is clear deception and not being genuinely popular at the start.
Real life examples of ACT and Jordan Williams astroturfing (the latter for Hobsons Pledge & tobacco companies) in New Zealand are detailed below
My initial reaction upon reading Peter’s statement was surprise.
I personally know that many who were there marched with their hearts full and their courage and pride on show, to stand in solidarity to the injustice and deceit engulfing our nation.
The relationship between Te Pati Māori and the movement, I thought at least, was obvious - a TPM leader was there on the first day with pronouncements, they were there in Auckland, it is the Māori community.
Drone view of Hikoi on the last day3 below -
Therefore, presence and affiliation of Māori figures including those with Te Pati Māori affiliation are no surprise given their role, and I would wager folks were simply energised and grateful to be able to join such a well marshaled and organised march.
Unfortunately, what we see too often in our government are attacks to character and people to silence, intimidate or discredit them - and that includes our journalists:
"There is a real problem when the people who hold the purse strings aren't absolutely critically cautious about even the perception of interfering with media
Nobody loses their democracy all at once, it's always a thousand little chips and we don't want to see them."
David Seymour in criticising Kiri Allen in 2023
Chris Finlayson, the former National MP and Attorney General this week called David Seymour out for this exact phenomenon - it’s “childish”.
The Hīkoi was peaceful too - despite multiple headlines associating the hīkoi with potential disorder and violence: “Police Minister warns Toitū te Tiriti protesters cops will take action against lawlessness” - there was only one incident recorded from North to South, with police praising protestors and organisers whom they had been liaising with well in advance.
Overall, I found the Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister’s willingness to downplay the Hikoi noteworthy.
Associate Justice Minister David Seymour
David Seymour already had his go at the organiser - unsuccessfully trying to rile up rage last week about Te Pati Maori affiliations too, and joined in efforts to downplay the Hikoi.
19-November - David Seymour:
“There will always be people who are out there making a lot of noise.
I think at the end of the day the overwhelming majority of New Zealanders are at work, going to school, and they'll be able to engage in this debate in their own way.
So you wouldn't want to take this hikoi as being representative of New Zealand."
This is, of course, playing to the favoured stereotypes by some on the right that Māori as on the whole, lazy, useless, unemployed, disruptive and disorderly.
Example below from Whangarei district councillor Marie Olsen -
But the more subtle flow from this is - these people are unworthy and they are different. Therefore, their voices do not deserve to be heard the same way that a procession of Peter Thiel or Wright Family like folks might - an attitude exemplified and emanating from every policy detail of this government.
RNZ also reported Seymour and his MPs walked out to meet the hikoi flanked by police and security, waved at them, then returned inside after a few minutes.
The Hikoi organisers had already sent a clear message to Seymour: talking to Seymour, a man who lied about not being invited to Koroneihana in August - using the lie as an excuse not to attend Kiingi Tuheitia’s coronation anniversary celebrations alongside other politicians - was “pointless”.
Given the many times Seymour had heard from Māori - yet chosen to ignore all of their concerns, input and feedback on a contract that involved them - and given his pattern of deception, it was rich for Seymour to suggest any discussion with him would be more genuine than the 7AA repeal which his party championed.
Seymour’s brief appearance translated to a slick ACT video ostensibly projecting strength of ACT staring down the Hikoi, and giving a speech to his ACT camera person - because in this game, Seymour is keen on cultivating an image that he is the party with honour, conviction, focused on rationality, and waving around vague notions of “equality”.
On this note, I’ve asked many people what exactly will change, how will this help someone’s day to day life - and the response is … inevitably silence or vague notions ala David Seymour that have nothing to do with the Treaty impacts.
Interestingly, over the last two days, Seymour’s team have also spent time re-latching onto the unpopular co-governance theme recently - which they used to take down Labour with at the last election.
If that trick worked last time, it makes sense for ACT and their surrogates to adopt it again - is their likely approach.
It’s noteworthy to see this strategy revitalised in the last days - and may speak to the fear that Seymour may have about the strength of the Hikoi, and opposition to his Bill.
It also speaks to them utilising multiple strategies to try to drive support for his Treaty Principles Bill, trying to appeal to fear and division, once again.
Christopher Luxon Receives A Coalition Partner Gift
Earlier this year, right wing commentator Matthew Hooton gave an impassioned and unguarded speech where he called Christopher Luxon “an imbecile” during discussions about anti-Maori rights group Hobsons Pledge.
This publication has covered the incredulousness of offering ACT, an 8% party - which received less party votes than the Treaty Principles Bill petitioners - 180 full days to sow division, misdirection and disinformation in New Zealand.
More people have signed the anti-treaty petition than the total sum of people that voted for Act in the most recent general election.
Anti Treaty Petition Signatures 250,000+
ACT votes in most recent election 246,000
Hooton, above, opines that division is the way to power and votes in this playbook.
But as per the video above - it’s also this government’s method to clear the decks for foreign and large corporate interests.
The Treaty of Waitangi protects our environment, natural, and limited resources and sensitive lands.
And a few days ago, Forest and Bird warned NZ something is afoot with our conservation areas under this government i.e. they may be planning to sell our lands to commercial interests.
Irrespective - 180 days is simply incredulous for the National Party leader to have agreed to for the major party.
Luxon has been vocally “proud” in the “stability” of his Coalition government. He expresses pride in his negotiation and leadership skills even though realistically he gave the minor parties everything they could have hoped for, and more, to NZ’s detriment. [All negotiators use an extreme position to start with]
And he frequently says his Coalition government is built on respect (even as he has a habit of not being aware of much - not aware, not aware, not aware, not aware, not aware, not aware, not aware, and so it goes on…all the way to his Air NZ days)
But that brings me to Luxon’s reward -