as the campaign nears an end, imnofox donned a loudhailer to energise the crowd before election day

“People of Takapuna, of Waitemata! Tomorrow is election day, and it’s only become more and more apparent of a Green win in Waitemata! BHjr132 is an astounding candidate, an astounding Minister, and an astounding colleague. His activism and his drive will do wonders for Waitemata, I can tell you this much. It’s time to end poverty in Waitemata, it’s time to end the mental health crisis, it’s time to protect our conservation land, and it’s time to deliver for all renters in this electorate. That is the kind of action BHjr132 can not only offer, but guarantee. Because those are the significant reforms that this Green-led government, with BHjr132 already at its core, are already delivering for Waitemata and for New Zealand.”

“You know, this kind of principled, visionary, and ambitious action is exactly what this country is entitled to and deserves, and unfortunately it’s not something seen from either opponent in this race. Just today, the leader of Socialist Aotearoa has endorsed New Zealand First’s leader in Northland. What kind of socialist can credibly endorse the leader of a party who’s two key pillars are unnecessary and excessive militarism, and anti-immigrant xenophobia. That is a leader who thinks we should bring back the death penalty and toughen sentencing, putting more and more kiwis, predominantly Māori, into jail, and killing our citizens, sometimes even those who are innocent. That is a leader who wants to go to war with China, spending hundreds upon hundreds of millions of dollars on military toys of war, totally unfit for peacekeeping and protecting our waters. That’s what Steef is endorsing! That is a leader who wants to restrict immigration to just 20,000 a year, and wants to limit the number of immigrants coming to just 500 each from a handful of selected countries, effectively allowing the government to pick and choose which races and ethnicities are welcome, and sidelining high-population countries, a policy totally targeted at reducing Asian immigration. And that’s the intention. So, the leader of the ‘Socialist’ party, in an effort to destabilizing our progressive centre-left government, is endorsing those crypto-fascist nationalist policies. All to destabilize the government, and grow their power. That’s who’s running in this race. While the Greens reject these policies of war, racism, and state sanctioned murder. We reject these tough-on-crime policies that do not deter crime, do not reduce crime, and only seek to lock more and more New Zealanders up. BHjr132 and the Greens refuse to disregard our principles, and the five key parts to our charter, simply for power. No, we’re here to guarantee the best, principled, and persistent representation for this electorate.”

“As I’ve travelled these streets over the last few weeks, it’s been, not surprising, but a good reminder to hear from so many people, struck hard by the housing crisis, left renting. And more and more kiwis are renting. The rental market, whilst the only realistic option for most families, absolutely fails to provide secure, real homes. I mean, over half a million households across the country now rent, a whole third. It’s the new normal for New Zealand, and the new normal for Auckland. But we know rental accomodation is bad, as it stands. Recent surveys even showed that 70% of rentals didn’t have ceiling or underfloor insulation, and over 50% aren’t weathertight. These are supposed to be safe dry homes for people to live in, to thrive in. Every year, 1600 deaths are attributed to these cold, damp homes! Last term we managed to scrap letting fees, which was a huge step forward, making new rentals more affordable- which is important, when people are moving from house to house so often these days, due to insecure rentals. But there’s still much more work to do.”

“The reality of the unhealthy, shocking states of our rental homes is what necessitates the introduction of a rental warrant of fitness, requiring all rental accommodation to meet the appropriate standard, so that people really can live in them safely, warmly, and without fear or sickness or illness. We’re challenging short term insecure tenancies by setting a default of three years for fixed term tenancies, whilst allowing both parties to opt out and set the term of their choice. We’re ending the reduced notice period available for landlords to sell their tenanted property, resetting it to the standard and appropriate 90 day period. We’re providing tenants with a right of renewal when the property is sold to a new owner as an investment property, ensuring tenants don’t just lose their home. And we’re limiting rent increases to just once every six months, and requiring the formula for calculating the increase in the tenancy agreements, to stop random rent increases all the time. Those are some simple changes, with big impacts on all renters across New Zealand, and in Waitemata. And that is impressive.”

“And the state of our housing, the state of the the world we live in does have a great impact on our health, and on our mental health. You know we have some of the highest youth suicide rates in the developed world? We are in the midst of a mental health crisis, which the last government did nothing about. Somehow New Zealand First gets Steef’s endorsement, despite doing nothing about it in coalition with National last term. So I’m immensely proud of the work that BHjr132 is doing in government to combat our mental health epidemic. In 2012, the National Party prematurely wound up the Mental Health Commission, merging it into the Office of the Health and Disability Commissioner, greatly reducing its independent voice and its functions. This commission was started in the 90s, in response to the mental health crisis we realised we had back then. And since it’s abolition, our mental health services have become totally inadequate for purpose, and previous governments since have failed to address the total insufficiency and inadequacy of our mental health services. So this government has already written legislation to bring back that Commission, as an advocate for the interests of people with mental illness, as an independent monitor of our mental health services, and as an advisor to government and a facilitator for our mental health services. And we will ensure all people, especially young people, have access to mental health care, with substantial funding for youth mental health services, real investment in community mental health initiatives, and free counselling for all under 25s. And that’s all work that BHjr132 is not only working on, but delivering on, for the people of New Zealand and the people of Waitemata.”

“BHjr132 is already delivering for Waitemata and for New Zealand. He’s the only candidate in this race who can deliver the change Waitemata deserves. While ACT and the Socialists may sit fruitlessly in opposition, jerking off the crypto-fascists on the crossbenches, BHjr132 is already out there, getting results, real health outcomes, combatting the real challenges this country and this electorate faces. We cannot give the nationalists a greater foothold in our parliament, and we cannot elect more sympathisers who refuse to stand up to their radical and divisive politics. We need Members of Parliament who unapologetically stand up for peace and non-violence, for our immigrant communities, for social justice- including in our justice system, and for true democracy- not just picking 1 or 2 of their favourites. Waitemata deserves representation that doesn’t play politics, selling off their principles for nationwide power. No, Waitemata deserves representation that is putting the needs of the electorate first, with grassroots representation, focussing on the needs of Waitemata, not the needs of some MP’s back pocket. Real, local, grassroots representation can only be guaranteed by BHjr132. Transformation, Waitemata-focussed results can only be guaranteed by BHjr132. So I implore all of you, in the strongest possible terms, to get out there tomorrow and tick that ballot box for BHjr132 of the Green Party!”

the large crowd cheered and hollered, throwing their green party t-shirts in the year. A “BHjr! BHjr!” chant rippled through the venue, as if it were some kind of cult