Dear freedom fighter
We are now edging closer to election 2023 which for all New Zealanders is likely to be the most important election they will participate in. We are staring over the precipice and with less than three weeks to go until October 14th, we must put our country first and be pragmatic if we want a voice in parliament.
Over the past couple of years, a number of freedom parties have been formed. There has been a lot of talk about getting together under one ‘brand’ but this hasn’t happened thus the available vote is likely to be split amongst them.
The latest polling shows that two freedom parties are at 1%. It’s a very steep mountain to climb to get to 5% (150,000 votes) in less than three weeks. The first question anyone considering voting for a ‘minor’ party should ask is ‘will they pass the 5% threshold’? If the answer to that is no, their vote should go to the party that is most closely aligned and will get into parliament.
It’s important to remember that no party that has polled at 3% or less prior to the election has entered parliament without winning an electorate seat.
At this very late stage, everything that the entire freedom community has strived for over the past three years could be lost unless we can all come together and support one party that will get into parliament. That party is New Zealand First, it’s the only option unless ‘we’ are happy to see National and Act governing with a majority without a handbrake. With enough support, it’s possible to get 4 or more freedom fighters into Wellington who will carry the flag for all of us, thus paving the way for very significant success for the freedom community at the 2026 election.
NZ First is calling for a one year ‘no holds barred’ enquiry into the Labour Government’s Covid response. That alone is massive, and it could open many doors for other ‘discussions’ such as legalizing Cannabis.
For the leaders of the freedom parties, to give up what they have worked so hard for could be seen as a bitter pill to swallow but if they don’t stand aside for 2023, the outcome for all of us could be a lot worse. Currently National and Act are riding a wave of support that’s come about from the collapse of the Labour vote.
New Zealand First is no longer a “one-man brand”. It’s senior leadership, board, candidates and members are mostly freedom people and they get the reality of vaccine harms, and its leader is ready to accept the baton and the responsibility the party has handed him. They are ‘taking it’ to the government and the old media, who have collaborated to shatter the country.
The One News poll on 20th September shows National and Act with a one-seat majority in parliament (62 seats) and based on this, they could ‘govern’ without having to rely on another party.
The freedom community and other minor parties however, can collectively ensure that there is another party holding the balance of power. All they have to do is vote for it.
Achieving the ‘balance of power’ at this election for a party that is aligned with the objectives of the minor parties should be the single most important consideration for every freedom fighter in New Zealand.
If the freedom parties and others are not willing to step aside in favour of New Zealand First, their accumulated vote will be (via the ‘Sainte-Lague’ formula) used to top up the number of seats allocated to the parties that do get past the 5% threshold. National and Labour the two largest parties would benefit the most.
In 2020 the so-called ‘wasted’ vote amounted to 7.9 % (225,000 votes – 9 seats) and this allowed Labour to gain 5 additional seats.
The major parties know about this and they are very pleased to benefit from additional seats allocated as a result of votes to minor parties that did not achieve the 5% threshold.
There are some who say this doesn’t happen. The fact is that it does. Simon Wilson senior reporter at the NZ Herald wrote an article about this in 2017 MMP maths: How party vote percentages become seats in parliament | The Spinoff
Simon has recently updated his article and it’s now on the NZ Herald website. Election 2023: The weird and wonderful ways that party votes become MPs – NZ Herald. Cam Slater on RCR Radio has discussed this with a number of people including Sandra Goudie former MP and Mayor of Thames and Muriel Newman New Zealand Centre for Political Research.
Bob McCroskie “Family Matters’ has produced an excellent video on this topic FAMILY MATTERS: Explaining the “wasted vote” – Is it really wasted? – YouTube
With this absolutely ‘crucial’ election, it’s time to focus everyone on what’s best for New Zealand. Minor party leaders who continue to tell their supporters that there is a chance of success, are being very unfair to them and to everyone else. There is no ‘loss of face’ in standing aside in order to achieve the best possible outcome for all freedom fighters.
An additional 5%+ of the party vote could be given to NZ First thus there would be no ‘wasted’ vote allocation of seats to other parties.
New Zealand First could gain 6 or more additional seats which would almost certainly be sufficient for them to hold the balance of power, bring excellent people into parliament and pave the way for a political system where New Zealanders know that Blue and Red are not the only options for voters. We need miracles and your pragmatic standing aside could bring them.
How will you feel on October 15th, if you voted for a freedom party, that does not make it and gives extra seats to National or Labour? How will you feel on October 15th if no freedom parties make the threshold? There would be no voice to represent us.
Early voting starts on October 2nd. In 2020, 68% of votes were cast in advance of election day. To wake up on 15th October to more of the same is unthinkable. Please do what is in the best interests of your fellow New Zealanders. It’s not about you, it’s about all of us. Can we trust you to do the right thing?
