- Thread starter
- #18,441
Always look forward, everything else is in the past and irrelevant.
I’m always cheerful… except when the police interrupt my day
Politics 🗳️ NZ Politics
- Thread starter wizard of Tauranga
- Start date
I’m always cheerful… except when the police interrupt my day
NZWarriors.com
When you think about it, it's death insurance really isn't it. Can't talk now, doing 120k driving to maccas at half time, see you on the other side.Always look forward, everything else is in the past and irrelevant.
I’m always cheerful… except when the police interrupt my day
The Real Reason They Don't Give a F**k About Palestine
I wish people would pay more attention to fundamentalist believers.
www.webworm.co
NZWarriors.com
The way you drive….. I can see you going backwards through the gates of hell in a V8 on fire because you decided the road was designed for drunken idiots in the rain.
Project 10: How the government kept the pay equity law change secret
Documents reveal how the government worked to keep sweeping pay equity changes hidden until the last minute.
www.rnz.co.nz
NZWarriors.com
- Thread starter
- #18,448
To be clear, you feel confidential budget changes should be discussed in public?
Project 10: How the government kept the pay equity law change secret
Documents reveal how the government worked to keep sweeping pay equity changes hidden until the last minute.
Weird, as even the budget journalists are locked up at the budget so the announced changes are kept secret.
Deflect, lie, make up shit. Carry on Wiz.
NZWarriors.com
What’s the problem with what Wiz said there? It’s all accurate isn’t it?
- Thread starter
- #18,451
He didn’t claim misinformation, corruption and neoliberalisms fault so we can take that as a low level response, in fact, so wishy washy it’s almost an admission I am correct.
It’s always the same, centre to centre-right targeted slander followed by radio silence once challenged. I’m convinced he works for the Greens in some capacity.He didn’t claim misinformation, corruption and neoliberalisms fault so we can take that as a low level response, in fact, so wishy washy it’s almost an admission I am correct.
NZWarriors.com
Been thinking that for a while now, all evidence points to him being on their payroll….who else has time to post prolifically on a sports forum about politics/geo politics throwing his weight around with hard left propaganda with not much to add to……..well…….the Warriors
Very suspect.
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Unlike you far right fascists some of us have better things to do than submit themselves to right wing circle jerks participated in by geriatric male zb listeners who can't see past their neoliberal porn and demand one rule for them and everyone else needs to eat breadcrumbs and be their tenants in mouldy houses that flood every 6 weeks because of climate change which they will also deny, along with science.Been thinking that for a while now, all evidence points to him being on their payroll….who else has time to post prolifically on a sports forum about politics/geo politics throwing his weight around with hard left propaganda with not much to add to……..well…….the Warriors
Very suspect.
I do however post facts that the right and far right on here, no matter how hard they try and say otherwise, know deep down are correct.
Like the far right trying to steal democracy in new zealand
The Press
www.thepress.co.nz
Play Video
0:51
'Freedom groups' change tack for elections
VIDEO CREDIT: Peter Meecham
As council elections loom, pandemic-era protest groups have recast themselves as humble watchdogs and concerned ratepayers, railing not against globalist agendas but road cones and rising rates. CHARLIE MITCHELL examines this quiet campaign.
One recent Saturday a cluster of protesters stood along a roadside, brandishing signs that mocked road cones and grumbled about speed bumps.
Some donned bright orange road cones atop their heads like dunce caps, turning protest into street theatre.
To passers-by, it would have looked like any other community protest. But it was part of a campaign orchestrated by Voices for Freedom (VFF), the movement that rose to prominence protesting against Covid-19 restrictions before evolving into a wider hub for anti-establishment views.
Three years ago, in the thick of the pandemic, VFF urged its supporters to contest council seats nationwide. Though it didn’t formally endorse candidates, it implied they might have the backing of its extensive grassroots network.
Protesters wearing road cones on their heads. The image has been generated using AI tools.
The Press
That initial wave foundered: candidates stood isolated, blindsided by scrutiny, with some buckling under media pressure. A handful scraped into office; fewer still seemed to leave any meaningful impression.
But the movement learned quickly from those stumbles. This election season, their tactics are tighter — less reactive, more disciplined, and deliberately aligned with broad frustrations about rates, spending, and local governance. By campaigning on broadly popular issues, candidates are able to avoid drawing attention to their links to a movement that has previously promoted more polarising views — connections that remain but are rarely emphasised.
And they’re not alone. Other factions within the broader “freedom movement” — a loosely connected constellation of groups united by their opposition to perceived government overreach — have similarly softened their rhetoric, trading conspiracy theories for everyday grievances that resonate widely.
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From pandemic to potholes
The movement’s new public face is Council Watch, the name printed boldly on those roadside placards.
The VFF connection isn’t hidden — Council Watch’s website is hosted by Reality Check Radio (RCR), VFF’s in-house media outlet, which has frequently promoted the initiative — but the link could easily escape casual observers.
Council Watch has released a slick campaign starter kit aimed at aspiring candidates. It includes a handbook for would-be councillors and a series of online seminars designed to demystify the machinery of local government.
Protesters aligned with Council Watch. Adapted from a reference image using AI tools.
THE PRESS
The handbook includes a list of suggested talking points, focused on broad, almost deliberately bland concerns:
“Ratepayers deserve better value for money.”
“I’ll advocate for responsible budgets focused on core services and cost–benefit analysis.”
“Ratepayers expect the basics to be done well — and so do I.”
“I believe in democratic decision-making.”
Supporters are also supplied with pre-scripted questions to ask at public meetings, designed to nudge candidates into promising to cap rates below inflation or cut spending on non-essentials.
It’s a notable tonal shift. In the lead-up to the previous local elections, VFF highlighted a less specific — and more polarising — agenda. Its launch video decried “medical passports” for accessing council facilities, stoked fears around Significant Natural Areas and Three Waters reform, and hinted at “the next things they start pushing on us”.
A series of webinars followed, painting the United Nations and its sustainable development goals as shadowy puppeteers manipulating local government from afar.
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Most of that rhetoric has since been shelved. Gone too are the placards decrying “apartheid” and authoritarianism, staples of past VFF protests. In their place are gently satirical quips about road cones and speed bumps.
A Voices for Freedom protest in 2022 outside the office of then Rangitata MP Jo Luxton.
AIMAN AMERUL MUNER / TIMARU HERALD
This pivot was no accident. In a video discussion aimed at potential candidates, VFF co-founder Alia Bland said the signs were intended to tap into everyday concerns.
“If you’re standing, there’ll be a whole lot of material on these signs that might support the sorts of things you’re going to be talking about,” she explained, listing off rates hikes, pet projects, council spending, road cones, bike lanes, and parking.
When asked to comment on the contents of this article, VFF co-founder Claire Deeks replied with a statement.
“Voices for Freedom has always been upfront about our mission and values, including our strong commitment to local democracy,” she said.
“Yes, we are behind Council Watch. Yes, we’re proud of it. And yes, we encourage people to run as independents because that’s exactly what they are: independent.
“These are everyday New Zealanders who’ve had enough of rising rates, neglected roads, wasteful spending, and ideology creeping into local government. That’s not radical, that’s common sense.”
She said Council Watch was an extension of the group’s long-standing mission to help “shift the Overton Window”, meaning the range of policies and ideas considered acceptable within mainstream political discourse. The group had long promoted local-action and community, she said.
The topics covered in the Council Watch handbook and other materials were chosen to reflect the issues that candidates could influence at a community level.
“It’s called local body elections for a reason,” she said.
“Candidates are focused on what councils actually control: infrastructure, spending, planning, and accountability. The suggestion that someone is ‘hiding’ their views because they don’t list every personal belief in a 150-word profile is disingenuous.”
A discreet mentor
Council Watch is just one strand in a broader, loosely woven web of interconnected campaigns.
One such initiative, Upskilling for Local Government (U4LG), has no website and leaves barely a trace online. Officially, it helps people weigh up whether to run for council. In practice, it seems to operate as a discreet training and co-ordination hub for candidates, some of whom are aligned with the freedom movement.
At its core is Elizabeth Mundt, a first-term Selwyn District councillor now seeking re-election. During her initial run, Mundt denied any connection to VFF, despite later evidence showing she administered a regional VFF channel on the messaging app Telegram.
Selwyn District councillor Elizabeth Mundt.
KAI SCHWOERER / The Press
Although Mundt keeps a relatively low profile, glimpses of her world view occasionally surface. Soon after her election, her Facebook account appeared in a weather modification group, encouraging followers to collect rainwater during the “next chem trail storm”.
Through U4LG, Mundt has hosted online sessions coaching dozens of prospective council candidates. These webinars have featured high-profile speakers such as former Wellington mayor turned NZ First MP Andy Foster, political strategist Simon Lusk, and Ashburton mayor Neil Brown.
Access is strictly controlled. Correspondence obtained by The Press reveals that one prospective participant was informed by U4LG’s co-ordinator — using the pseudonym “Jill Miles” — that a personal phone screening conducted by Mundt was required before joining.
“Jill Miles” is Jill Greathead, a former seven-term Carterton district councillor and VFF supporter. She ran similar training ahead of the last election under the banner Refreshing Local Democracy. Greathead did not respond to a request for comment.
In one session, Mundt advised attendees to switch off their Zoom cameras and use aliases. “If somebody spills to the media,” she explained, “there’s no known names and no known faces they can try and hunt down for a good story.”
Not everyone followed her advice. The names of Wellington mayoral hopeful Ray Chung and other members of the “Independent Together” ticket were clearly visible during a session focused on media skills. Others now running as candidates are identifiable at various points.
Despite the secrecy, much of the training content is routine, covering topics like social media management, understanding council structures, and crafting effective local campaigns. Yet sessions also tackle a lesson learned painfully from the last campaign: navigating media scrutiny.
One guest speaker, South Waikato district councillor and VFF supporter Marie Farrell, spoke under the alias “Molly.” She advised participants not to conceal their beliefs but cautioned: “We are in a cancel culture, and standing for local government can make us targets.”
Mundt herself recommended asking journalists for questions in writing and strictly sticking to prepared talking points.
A slide from an U4LG media training session.
Supplied
In one candid exchange, attendee Dianne Downward described her method for boosting confidence in public speaking — calling talkback radio stations under fake names to share her views. Downward had inspired Mundt to do the same.
“I also do it under a pseudonym,” Mundt admitted. “However, some of my constituents can recognise my voice, so they’ll often tease me about my new name.”
In a statement to The Press, Mundt confirmed she ran U4LG.
“When I ran for council three years ago, I felt there was very limited information available, and it’s a huge disadvantage to spend years trying to learn while making critical decisions affecting ratepayers. It’s important for people to truly understand the role, so they can make an informed decision on whether to run.”
She strongly denied any alignment with outside groups, describing U4LG’s content and vision as “all mine”.
Participants were advised to remain discreet, Mundt said, because “after three years of unwarranted smear campaigns by the left media, I wished to protect anyone else from being thrown under the bus due to a loose association with myself”.
“I am in council purely to serve my community,” she added. “I abhor party politics in councils, and I expressed the importance of this during training sessions as I am a firm believer you cannot represent your community if you are there to represent your own self interests or your party’s ideals.”
Hours after The Press sought comment from Mundt and others, U4LG participants received an email advising them that this article was in progress and recommending they not respond to any questions about it.
A web of ‘Concerned Citizens’
The wider “freedom” campaign extends beyond a single training programme.
Shortly after launching U4LG, Mundt spoke at a symposium organised by Concerned Ratepayers Wellington — a group founded by Dean Harris, a VFF co-ordinator now running for council on the Kāpiti Coast.
The event’s premise was straightforward: “Our cities and suburbs are overrun with traffic cones and mismanaged vanity projects pushed by councillors who ignore the public and follow party lines,” an online description read.
Speakers at the event included Wellington mayoral hopeful Ray Chung and former NZ First MP Ron Mark.
Concerned Ratepayers Wellington is one of seven similarly branded groups scattered across the lower North Island and Canterbury, each bearing identical logos — a traffic cone with a frowning face.
The exact identities behind these groups aren’t always readily clear. The Facebook page for Concerned Ratepayers Canterbury presents itself as a regular community forum, but embedded among its posts are frequent links to RCR, alongside memes disparaging electric vehicles and central bank digital currencies.
The Canterbury group has held several well-attended candidate forums, with more planned. One recent event drew more than 100 attendees. The group has been promoted multiple times in weekly email updates sent to VFF members in greater Christchurch.
The Press understands Concerned Ratepayers Canterbury is run by a known VFF organiser who has planned to distribute flyers for Mundt’s re-election campaign and attended multiple U4LG sessions. The group’s spokesperson is Dianne Downward — the same attendee who shared her method of calling talkback radio stations under pseudonyms, and attended numerous U4LG sessions.
A request for comment sent to the group’s email address did not receive a response.
An invitation to a symposium hosted by ‘Concerned Ratepayers’.
Supplied
While the Concerned Ratepayers network has no formal affiliation with VFF or Council Watch, the overlap is unmistakable: Often, the same people move fluidly between groups.
One such person is governance consultant Kathryn Ennis-Carter, who has presented several online seminars for Council Watch. She is also actively involved with Concerned Ratepayers Kāpiti.
In one video, she explained how the initiative had started as a watchdog effort but was becoming a funnel to “get additional people who were interested in change elected to council”.
Members of Concerned Ratepayers Kāpiti had even attended a meeting organised by the ACT party, politely conveying the message that ACT should stay out of their way. The group had planned extensive community outreach — including social media campaigns, flyers, and letterbox drops — and intended to stay active post-election, supporting successful candidates.
Similar efforts are under way elsewhere. In June, a new group called Concerned Residents of Whangārei emerged under the leadership of a Northland-based VFF co-ordinator.
During its inaugural meeting — captured in a now-deleted video — VFF’s head of operations, Tane Webster, offered strategic campaign advice. “The rates issue is going to be the issue for people to either win or lose in councils all up and down New Zealand,” he said.
Beneath the rebrand
The last election was undoubtedly a disappointment for VFF and like-minded candidates.
One successful candidate, Gill Booth, quickly found herself isolated and at odds with fellow members of her small community board in Central Otago. In a recent Council Watch webinar, she openly admitted she had made “no difference” since gaining office.
Other victorious candidates, such as Mundt, similarly found themselves lone voices, unable to meaningfully shape council agendas or influence significant decisions.
By shifting focus away from contentious ideological battles and towards everyday grievances, the freedom movement has carved out more promising electoral territory. Its goal is clear: to deliver reinforcements for the isolated few who have already found their way onto local councils.
“One thing that we have noticed since talking to a lot of different councillors and mayors across the country over the last couple of years ... is the need for more of those people to be in each of the councils,” explained VFF co-founder Alia Bland in a recent webinar.
“Lots of the time there’ll only be one or two, and that’s not really enough. I mean, it’s better than nothing, because they’re still hearing what’s going on, seeing and speaking up, but in terms of getting things over the line, the more people that are involved in this, the better.”
An illustration referencing a design used by Concerned Ratepayers groups. Generated using AI tools.
THE PRESS
There’s nothing inherently sinister or unusual in promoting mainstream concerns. Rates, roads, and efficient council services genuinely matter to many voters. The issue arises not from what these groups discuss, but from what may remain hidden beneath their polished, mainstream veneer: more controversial beliefs that voters might never encounter.
VFF remains focused on a wider spectrum of controversial issues. For example, it plans to distribute wallet-sized info cards covering contentious topics like climate change, sex education, gender ideology, digital identity, and central bank digital currencies.
The group also backs a campaign against gene technology, and another against what it calls the “under-16 Trojan horse,” a reference to efforts to limit teenage access to social media. RCR has been touring the country with a documentary about managed retreat, which warns darkly about the “climate agenda” being used to seize property.
By softening their rhetoric and aligning with broadly palatable concerns, some groups may be seeking to build political footholds while leaving their underlying world view largely undeclared.
In the realm of local government — where voter turnout is consistently low and scrutiny often minimal — even small, disciplined campaigns can yield significant influence.
This has not gone unnoticed.
“There’s very low voter turnout; it’s in the mid-30s,” VFF co-founder Claire Deeks said in a recent webinar.
“We can make a difference. We should never underestimate what we’re able to achieve. This isn’t about having some sort of super-majority, it’s about bit by bit encouraging more people to get in.”
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Oh and which part of this isn't true righties? Your mob are destroying the economy and New Zealanders.
NZWarriors.com
Finally - it's nice that you care, but quite frankly, I'll do what I fucking like thanks.Been thinking that for a while now, all evidence points to him being on their payroll….who else has time to post prolifically on a sports forum about politics/geo politics throwing his weight around with hard left propaganda with not much to add to……..well…….the Warriors
Very suspect.
If I recollect correctly, a recent comment by me on the one of the warriors game day forums was met with hostility from yourself.Well you have to double down now don’t you
Might be worth fact checking yourself
NZWarriors.com
If I recollect correctly, a recent comment by me on the one of the warriors game day forums was met with hostility from yourself.
Might be worth fact checking yourself
Think you may be mistaken there, “fact” check it for me….you’re “good” at that
I won’t expect an apology
I will. Knights WarriorsThink you may be mistaken there, “fact” check it for me….you’re “good” at that
I won’t expect an apology
