This makes me furious. It’s so hateful and divisive. The shit should be outlawed. Shame on Don Brash and his ACT minions.

It’s now a couple of months before the election.

My inbox is littered with complaints about the Opportunity Party .. My fellow team members on r/nzpolitics are working hard; some are pulling all nighters to moderate content and reports regarding Opportunity.

Users are reporting to us that OP are astroturfing heavily and any negative comments are downvoted to nigh invisibility.

(NOTE: Astroturfing is a term used to describe online activity that is performed in a co-ordinated way by organisations/groups that pose as ordinary citizens. Their objective is to disrupt and/or influence opinion.)

An example of proven astroturfers in New Zealand are Jordan Williams and The Taxpayers Union, with ex-members whistleblowing about their antics1 Perhaps unsurprisingly, it’s also been reported that Jordan Williams runs a social media bot company.

And for those of you who are unfamiliar with the term “bots”, below is an illustration of one type of bot farm. i.e. relatively automated accounts that pretend to be normal people (video on article shows how some bot farms operate)

Back to Opportunity -

I start to pay increasing attention to Opportunity content and activity, instead of the Government as usual, and am bowled over by the force, velocity and intensity of affiliate accounts.

It’s not only the volume, it’s the scale of attack if you oppose their party lines or dare to critique them that draws my attention.

It surpasses anything I have seen online before.

My interest moves from the Government to this new party.

And the thought just won’t go away:

“Why are TOP’s antics so right wing and dirty politics?”, I wonder to myself

Opportunity Party astroturf on Meta Facebook

A friend sends me a message with an old post from Dr Harpreet Singh. Dr Singh is an Auckland-based researcher, author, and PhD holder who writes on education, law, and history. He has a newsletter on Substack.

My friend had taken a screenshot of a post of his, but that post is no longer visible online.

I take a minute to look at what they share, and slowly realise what I am looking at...

Profiles on Facebook that denied being affiliated with the party,were uncovered as Party staffers, and authorised by the Opportunity’ Party’s Secretary Hayden Cargo.

That is the classic definition of astroturfing, the technique made famous here in Aotearoa by Dirty Politics’ Taxpayers Union.

Dr Singh had the receipts, but no-one had noticed. And his post was now deleted...

I reached out to Dr Singh to ask him about his experience with Opportunity.

He remembers the Opportunity Party astroturfing immediately. He calls them a mixture of “fake profiles” and “genuine accounts”.

I inform Dr Singh that I’ve never seen anything like the level of co-ordinated activity before, and Dr Singh concurs, comparing the intensity to the “2016 astroturfing that happened fueling Trump presidential run”.

........

etc.

NOTE: This is a EXCERPT ONLY version of my article this morning and it appears that the profile in question is an OPP MP, which would explain the authorisation sign

There's also notes about Reddit accounts here that astroturf who are official campaign staffers for the party.

As to party lines, when Carl Bates, National MP for Whanganui was caught out on his sock puppet account praising himself, we reported it here too. And if he turned up he would be called out immediately.

Our nzpfu firefighters have officially been striking for a year for decent pay, conditions and equipment to keep us all safe. They fight for our lives, we best fight for them.

Source IG chloe.swarbrick: https://www.instagram.com/reel/Deieq0STaUR/

This house made the news in 2021 as being the most expensive sale in Lower Hutt (it didn’t fit in the screenshot but it’s at 1.5 mil cv now, edit: 1.9). It’s a huge section (2k sq m), in central town, on a main road, was sold to developers. They removed the house and nothing since. I took this photo yesterday. Makes sense they allow a national hoarding I guess?

National brings forward MSD changes to cut 5000 youths off jobseekers 10 months earlier than planned (no media coverage to date)

I've never been much into politics, every time I tune in I see a bunch of corrupt a holes working to line their pockets.

I first became interested when Jacinda was PM, I felt that for the first time someone actually genuinely cared and was in the job for the right reasons.

With national in the last few years I switched off again, just more bullshit from greedy people voted in by greedy people.

The last few years I've also seen the greens, mostly Chloe tbh, talking. And I can see the genuine care and compassion for all kiwis. I didn't realize that's all it would take to convince me but it was. Finally someone was making sense, being kind, using their intelligence to lift people up.

I don't care about other parties now. I liked to think I would consider other parties and their ideas but ever time the others speak i just roll my eyes.

So when a coworker asked me in a stunned tone "why are you voting green?" I said "I can just see they care about people"

Cue this old lady starts spewing racist and cooperate greed lines.

I just don't get it, why is it such a shock to people when you say youre more interested in helping people than getting rich or even making rich people richer.

So you may have seen my previous post.

I was on the fence between TOP & Greens.

I has seen the interview with TOP Deputy Daniel Eb saying he would, and has previously, voted National if he couldn't vote TOP.

Now I see Q's mother is Margaret Malcolm - formerly a senior advisor to Judith Collins and as the chief executive of the Law Association

Doesn't seem to pass the sniff test...

edit - title was supposed to be 2.0 🫣

The Green Party would abolish the training wage, saying people should not be forced to live in poverty while they learn on the job.

Currently, the adult minimum wage is $23.95, while the training and starting out minimum wage are $19.16 - set at 80 percent of the adult wage.

But the Green Party's co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick said apprentice numbers were at a 15-year low.

"Low pay, insecure work, and a lack of pastoral support mean that instead of focusing on learning their trade, our apprentices spend too much time worried about making ends meet. We can fix that."

Swarbrick said abolishing the training wage would mean apprentices were paid properly for their work.

---

ACT is campaigning to reduce the training wage to 60 percent of the minimum wage, which it would also freeze for three years. [60% of the min wage is currently $14.37. How the fuck is anyone meant to live on that?]

Chris Hipkins says ministry chief executives shouldn't need the threat of pay sanctions to tell the truth. Photo: Stephen Barker / LGNZ

If you’re voting this year and you don’t want Luxon back as Prime Minister, here’s something to consider about the Opportunity Party.

Opportunity has openly said it could work with National. Even its deputy leader, Daniel Eb, said that if he couldn’t vote for Opportunity, he’d vote National.

And those attractive tax policies you’re supporting? The land value tax and citizen’s income aren’t even coalition bottom lines.
Luxon has also said he’d work with “whoever I have to”.

So if you’re okay with even the slightest possibility of your vote helping bring Luxon back, then sure, vote for the Opportunity Party.

But if you want a 100% guarantee that your vote doesn’t help bring Luxon back as Prime Minister in any way, then you should vote Labour.

Video from othe good folks at Public Interest NZ

Disclaimer: My name is Tom Roud and I am the current president of the Alliance Party. I am posting this here for transparency reasons.

Remember this guy?

https://www.stuff.co.nz/politics/350613815/jacinda-ardern-s-bodyguard-s-beard-amasses-fan-base

Saw him at a market, unfortunately watching over David Seymour and his gang of creeps.

Anyway, still a buzz to see him. 🙂

Article: THE PRESS

"This is a stitch-up, and the whakapapa of it is clear.

Right-wing politicians and media have turned a visit by Te Pāti Māori and the Greens to Mongrel Mob members into manufactured outrage. The aim is to stir up Labour supporters, pressure Chris Hipkins, and make any future relationship with Te Pāti Māori and the Greens politically harder.

That outrage plants division and pressures Labour to condemn people and communities connected to its own Māori MPs and whānau.

We need to see the play for what it is whanau. A political tactic designed to divide us and dictate who we’re allowed to stand alongside. Happens all the time. Watch out for the whakapapa of your outrage 😉"

Source IG kiri_tamihere: https://www.instagram.com/reel/DegcMkty9q_/

If anyone's curious for more perspectives on this, let me know if I should share more videos on this too like:

hanelleharris (IG) - https://www.instagram.com/reel/DegfWR8B_3g/

"Gang members are whanau. I'm tired of the gangs being used as cheap political football every election just to drum up cheap votes. It's fear mongering & intentional distraction to blind gullible voters from the real issues like equitable wages, access to basic human needs and the urgent fight for a liveable environment that we can leave for generations to come.

It's racism and white supremacy dressed up as respectable politics.

That's not to say I fully stand by the harm that some of these organisations cause, but I've also known and have whanau who have belonged to different gangs. People who have been some of the most community centred and aroha driven that I have known. I'd feel safer with many of our gang whanau over the ones in blue any day and I'm not talking about no crips either 👮🏻‍♂️"

And rianatengahue (IG) - www.instagram.com/reel/Def9sknzz-1/

"National wants to do the exact same thing and expect a different result"

Thank you for your mahi everyone. 🖤❤️🤍💚

So I thought I was done but then they drag me back in...

I got to reading again because I have been waiting for any further policy updates from TOP with regards to either their AI or labour policies (all of which are still MIA) and ended up coming across some details that TOP seem to have been very keen to not publicize.

The first of these is that Qiulae is the daughter of Margaret Malcolm who worked for several years as senior advisor to Judith Collins as mentioned in this piece that was only published in the past month. This is the only source in the public sphere as far as I have been able to find but she is very active on her LinkedIn promoting everything TOP.

The more interesting fact is that her husband is Grant Anthony as detailed in this piece but, yet again, is the only source I can find in the public sphere. The article is a glow-up piece for her and only mentions him by name but without any details as to what his professional life looks like.

Grant Anthony has had a career where he has occupied a space in the C-suite most of the way, and most recently he worked at Orion Health as CIO/CISO for 3.5 years until they were acquired by Healwell AI 18 months ago. At which point he became the CIO/CISO for them.

Their interests as private individuals intersect incredibly well with TOP policy and there are some real potential conflicts of interest. Under their 5 bottom lines they have:

• Clean up politics with "to ensure the integrity of our democracy, this bottom line requires a mandatory register and code of conduct for lobbyists." How does this end up being applied if your husband is a high ranking executive in an industry that lobbies government?
• Fix the health system with "we’ll call for the funding increases our healthcare workers need, and more investment in primary and preventative care to stop people from getting sick in the first place." If they can solidify the healthcare plan for the next decade to include spending that Healwell AI can depend on, this sounds incredibly lucrative for both the company and them.

Then we also have the fact that their entire economic policy revolves around public funding of private development:

• "We’ll lift research & development spending to at least 2% of GDP"
• "We’ll also create a new legal structure — the Impact Company — to recognise and encourage investment in businesses that generate profit while doing social and environmental good." This in particular feels like it will be targeted at businesses like Healwell AI.

And then "breakthrough economy" policy document they have "[i]t will allow claiming back as a tax credit up to 25% of the cost of rolling out high-tech solutions such as AI and digital platforms".

All in all, significant portions of the TOP economic plan seem like they will be incredibly lucrative for Qiulae and Grant.

And just as a final note,

She cites former National Prime Minister Sir John Key and ex-Green leader James Shaw as political heroes, saying both had the ability to put ideology aside to achieve practical outcomes.

So after she's done making a bundle at our expense, can we expect that she'll jet off to Hawaii too?

Reti's post is the last slide