Resistance is Fertile.

But only if we resist.

It's a storm
Without end
Where's the lighthouse?
Where's a friend?
Come to think
It can't last

Only if we resist

“How would you describe the Government's first 100 days?”, Gerard Otto asked the other night. I replied, “a catastrophic clusterf#ck of corrupt cronyism, colonialist comprehension, cigarette butt charisma and craven cruelty.”

Maybe some of you agree, others might not share that assessment - yet. It’s not a good thought, especially if you voted for them. But as they say, the first step is acknowledging you’ve got a problem.

Aotearoa - we’ve got a problem.

Some of us had low expectations of this government. To be fair a lot of things they’ve done so far are pretty much what they said they’d do. They might’ve whispered some bits - but it was there, lurking between the lines. But even people who expected them to be bad find themselves disheartened at just how dismal they’ve turned out to be.

Others voted for this government with good intentions. Maybe they thought it was the right thing for their family, or that the country needed a change? I suspect some are feeling a bit of regret. The rolling back of Smokefree legislation, for example, has angered many - regardless of who they voted for.

Protesters outside David Seymour's electorate office in Auckland. Photo: RNZ / Finn Blackwell.

For the remaining believers, those still waiting for things to get back on track, the next three years will be an educational opportunity. The rest of us can help. Talking calmly and honestly about issues, and the alternatives, is useful.

Possibly even more useful than starting a newsletter by describing a government, that the majority voted for, as a catastrophic clusterf#ck. Oops.

But what of the government themselves? They don’t seem particularly keen on hearing criticism. How do get through to them? Ideally to have them stop what they’re doing, but more realistically to make it as hard as possible for them to do the things that many of us don’t want to see in our country.

Yesterday I started a discussion thread for suggestions of nonviolent action that could be taken.

Thanks very much to all those who contributed their comments on the post, or in messages and emails. I know many Kiwis are concerned at what we’re seeing from our government and would like to do something about it, beyond waiting three years for another election. Here’s a sample of the responses:

Marie: I’ve been feeling powerless and horrified at the same time. Went to Waitangi, wore my Toitū te Tiriti t-shirt - that felt like some action. I’ve written to Luxon but will write more. I think letters to people like him are 'water off a duck's back' as my father used to say. I want things like car stickers that say 'I didn't vote for this Govt' because not many did. I don't think that most National voters would’ve envisaged this result.

I think we should start getting plans together for how to get more people voting next time than ever before. I'm up for marches, peaceful protests, delegations to ministers' offices, letter writing, flag waving - you name it. I lived through Muldoon and Richardson. This feels much worse.

Photo: Getty/1 News.

Keith: Support the Wellington Poua - wahine standing up against these bullies. Winston could be the weak link. He is of an age when he starts to consider his legacy, if he thinks he’s to be remembered as a kūpapa (a collaborator, or traitor) he may crack and bring down this circus. Keep reminding him that people will not forgive or forget his betrayal.

It’s a fair point. Winston may have championed some fairly fringe voters in order to get back into parliament, but I get the impression that legacy is very important to him. He stills tries to correct the record on events from decades ago, going back to Bolger and Shipley. Does he really want to be remembered for this nonsense?

For goodness sake, an elder statesman at 78 should not be using a phrase like “Go Woke Go Broke”, it’s just embarrassing. Besides which, it turns out that the translation of the haka, which Peters has used, was not accurate.

Poua head coach Ngatai Walker said "there may be misinterpretation of individual words".

"The intent of the meaning is, 'Aotearoa unite, Hurutearangi (female god of the wind) has arrived; challenges may come and go, but we will endure'.

"I am really proud of the performance the players put on the field. They played with mana for their families, their community, and the club."

Heidi: I'm sure I'm not alone when I say that I knew it would be bad, but I'm horrified at just how bad it is. The cost of living crisis has worsened and will continue to do so if we just stand back and do nothing. I feel disempowered and quite depressed at times, but I fully acknowledge that simply shouting into my devices will not bring about change.

We need widespread disruption. Protests at every event that Luxon, Seymour and Peters attend. Boycotting of businesses that we know funded and continue to support this madness.

Neville: A good way to start would be informing everyone on who, and actually what, is the Atlas group. Unheated, factual, evidence based, and in a way that everybody understands. Their negative role in Brexit and the Referendum on the Voice in Australia. The ugly racism and division that they and groups like Hobson’s Pledge weaponise… Politicians with ties to these groups should be called out.

We should also make sure the truth is told about our Covid response, in the NZ Royal Commission COVID-19 Lessons Learned Te Tira Ārai Urutā public consultation.

A few people have contacted me in the last week regarding submissions for this inquiry. Concerned that many who’ll take the time to submit will be those who strongly opposed the previous government. That a negative perception may result, which doesn’t necessarily reflect the way many kiwis felt about the response.

'Make Influenza Great Again', Covid-19 anti-mandate protest, Parliament's grounds. Photo: Adrian Lambert.

One of those people was Julia, a reader who’s involved with Aotearoa Covid Action (ACA). She kindly agreed to have a chat with me about it yesterday morning.

I hadn’t heard of the ACA before and asked Julia to describe it. She sent through the following description:

A grassroots group of concerned kiwis started up just under a year ago. We provided a series of webinars delivered by world famous experts (NZ and international), alongside kiwi parent activists who were and are working to keep their tamariki safe and healthy through advocating with their kids' schools to improve internal air quality as a way to reduce infections in schools. Since those webinars (which are up on our website) our group has grown.

We are ordinary kiwis who have educated ourselves about Covid and are following the latest and best research, and who have stepped up to lobby the government, support and advise schools, provide up to date info to help all kiwis stay healthy in a pandemic.

The group is focussed on the current situation. Julia said, “we need to be looking at our response now, not 4 years ago”. Despite the current unpopularity with some of having well informed, scientifically based, discussions about Covid - that’s what they do.

We chatted about the fact that public health messaging has not kept up with our knowledge of Covid. That people are still using the older style blue masks, which are less safe, and not necessarily using them well. Julia made the comparison, noting she wasn’t the first to do so, that masks are like condoms. You’ve got to use them properly and consistently, and the odd slip up is not ideal.

Rapid Antigen Tests should still be available, and people need better masks so they can do the right thing. We talked about the ongoing level of infection in the community and that wearing a mask on public transport, for example, was something we could get used to and is not a bad idea for a number of reasons.

Julia was concerned about the inquiry noting that:

• We shouldn’t ask the public to make informed judgements on legal aspects, or how well prepared other countries were, as they’re unlikely to have the information necessary to do so.

• You can’t address a public health crisis through personal responsibility, you need government involvement.

In order to simplify the submission process, and encourage others to submit, the ACA has put together a guide to help people make submissions: Get your voice heard by the Aotearoa New Zealand Covid Inquiry (covidaction.nz). Submissions must be made by/before March 24.

“We know the anti-vaxers and Jacinda haters are likely to use this opportunity to complain, but we think it's important to praise the government's initial response, and perhaps, to complain about how things have subsequently fallen apart to the point where we have virtually no protections in place anymore and a 5th wave that isn't seeming to quit.”

Dr Ashley Bloomfield and Jacinda Ardern were both sued in two writs of habeas corpus. Photo / Mark Mitchell.

The ACA will be providing cut and paste responses, but it’s good to submit a personalised message - even if it’s simply the key points you want to make.

We discussed our Covid experiences. Julia said she’d felt like she was part of a whole societal movement to do something in the public good. That our collective response, if flawed, was moving from a neoliberal frame of mind, as we must do in other area like climate change, to address something that could not be resolved by personal responsibility, but needed a collective effort.

Covid precautions are still a reality for many who have health considerations, or are elderly, people who are still not willing, or able, to put themselves in danger.

Living a Covid aware life is basically being the only sober one at a party where everyone else is completely shit-faced. In a constant state of WTF are you doing, stop pissing in the fridge.

The key question from the conversation was - how do we get past the neoliberalism of the last 40 years? How do we shift the view of our society to focus on more important things?

Let’s take a look at some more responses from readers…

Phil: Any change can only be from protest that is visible, active and continuous, a NZ wide protest movement, in every center, and every city.

Māori routinely have to fight to be heard in New Zealand’s political debates, such as during this 2021 hikoi protesting against a Manawatū District Council decision to shelve Māori wards. Photo: David Unwin/Stuff.

Heather: People like Annette Sykes, Chlöe Swarbrick, and the people alongside Kingi Tuheitia, who are already speaking out will be important to listen to and there will be ideas and actions that we can support. Supporting any actions we see that confront this government, like the Hurricanes women.

One memory of the 81 protests is attending a meeting early on where strategies were being discussed and rehearsed. These came out of existing groups like HART and CARE. So thinking of existing groups that can act. These could be political or Unions.

Acting on righteous anger stops it turning to depression. Think what’s been successful before.

Margie: Started a night Te Reo course at EIT Hastings. How wonderful this is available free, despite the coalition’s best efforts. Most of us are working, so yes a 3 hour night class is hard but speaking to other students, they think the coalition’s attitude and efforts to take us backwards are having an opposite effect. With many signing up.

Hilary: It's not too hard to start a chat with your neighbour on the footpath. You can start with something mildly provocative to test the water, such as wouldn't it be great to have a cycleway here, or isn't it terrible that the government wants to stop school lunches for the local school. You might be surprised to find that they are feeling as worried and angry about things as you are.

That reminded me of picking up a prescription from our local pharmacy, chatting with the lady behind the counter, just prior to the election. I mentioned that National would reintroduce fees and she became quite animated at what a pain that would be for the store, and the impact it would have on those needing prescriptions.

It’s good to talk, better than social media interactions - many of which aren’t even with real people.

Hilary also suggested that people swamp Newstalk ZB’s talkback with left wing callers. I was amused, imagining the look on the host’s face as they took the 18th straight call from someone with a fake name, perhaps Merv, telling them what a bellend David Seymour is.

While we’re talking about right wing institutions, perhaps we need the equivalent of the Taxpayers’ Union. A People’s Union, lobbying for things people actually need, rather than looking to help the wealthy pay less tax.

When Chlöe Swarbrick was confirmed as the Green Party co-leader yesterday she said, "Aotearoa can be a place where everyone has what they need to live a decent life, and our natural world is restored and protected, on a foundation honouring te Tiriti o Waitangi. That is the Greens' vision, and one we work to see realised every single day."

Essentially an amendment to Norm Kirk’s fabled quote that New Zealanders want “someone to love, somewhere to live, somewhere to work, and something to hope for.”

Many Kiwis feel that way. You don’t of course need to be a Green Party supporter, or a Labour one, to want those things for this country. For everybody in this country.

But the parties in our coalition government have shown that they do not share that vision. Supporting them is incompatible with the things that most of us want.

Let them hear it, loudly and clearly.

That we resist.