imnofox goes doorknocking in Taranaki

imnofox dusted off his doorknocking shoes, the same worn pair he's worn for the last 7 elections

"Tena koe! My name is imnofox, your local independent Internet candidate for Te Tai Tokerau. Kei te pēhea koe?"

"Oh, hi! I'm alright thanks. My name is Tane. What's this for? The election?"

"That's right, it's an election year, and the Internet Party is trying to shake up New Zealand's status quo politics. No matter whether it's Labour or National in government, our digital rights are under threat. Both parties have supported the increasing power of the state to spy on ordinary New Zealanders like you and me."

"Wow, you never really consider how much the government knows about us! I read the other week about state services hiring private firms to spy on activists and homeowners in Christchurch. That's pretty nuts."

"Yeah, totally. But up until now, only the Greens, and to some extent ACT, have been willing to challenge these gross intrusions by the government on our privacy, and even then it's always secondary to other concerns, such as the environment or, especially in ACT's case, the economy."

"What the heck can you do about that?"

"Well Tane, we've got a solid plan. We're gonna repeal the GCSB Bill and the TICS Bill which give the state sweeping surveillance powers to intrude on New Zealanders. We'll also demand an apology from the Crown to all who were illegally spied on by the GCSB. We've also got to reconsider our intelligence relationships. The Five-Eyes relationship makes us lapdogs of the Trump administration when it comes to surveillance of the region, and we really should leave."

"Chur bro, sounds sensible to me! Have a good one!"

"Thanks mate!"

imno left, closing the gate behind him, before moving to the next house

"Kia ora! Ko imnofox ahau, I'm your local candidate for the Internet Party. How are you today?"

"Oh hi, I'm actually a National voter, used to support TOP, so I'm not really interested in voting for the left."

"Interesting that you say that. Internet aren't left or right, we've got new solutions and new ideas that cross the political divide, and will work with any party, whether Labour or National. That's the kind of issues based bi-partisanship we've been lacking for a while, especially since TOP aligned themselves with the National Party before merging into them."

"But aren't you endorsed by the Greens in Te Tai Tokerau?"

"Yeah, because they agree with our positions on mass surveillance. We've also been endorsed by ACT and Kiwi. Likewise, Internet has endorsed candidates from across the political spectrum. That demonstrates our ability to work with anyone, looking for that consensus."

"Interesting, that sounds quite compelling. But, National's got real plans to modernise the economy."

"The Internet Party have an impressive plan to upgrade our economy to a modern, digital economy. We're commited to boosting government R&D, expanding innovation throughout the private sector, delivering a stronger economy for everyone. On top of that, we're keen to double the number of tech workers in that digital economy. That means supporting non-university career paths, reforming our immigration system, and other efforts to support more people into the IT sector. One of my favourite policies is are the 'Ideas Grants': government grants to encourage potential entrepeneurs to develop their big ideas, build a prototype, and start seeking seed funding for a new start up."

"Wow, those are some pretty solid proposals. I'm still making up my mind, this is a weird election. But you've got me interested, dude! Have a good one."

"Thanks, you too!"

imnofox, pleased with the positive interaction, went to the next house. noticing the tino rangatiratanga flag hanging in the window, imno smiled

"Kia ora! Ko imnofox ahau, kei te rere ahau mo te paremata me te rōpu Ipurangi. Kei te pēhea koe?"

"Āe, kei te pai au. Kua kite ahau i to whakaahua, engari kaore ahau e mohio he aha taau kaupapa here."

"Kahore, he pai! The Internet Party is focussed on delivering a digital economy, reforming our copyright laws, securing our privacy and our internet freedoms. We're committed to retaining Aotearoa's independence, improving our democracy, and most importantly, transforming the state to finally honour te Tiriti o Waitangi."

"Ah, ka pai! Normally I do vote for the Labour Party or the Greens, given their general commitment to Māori issues- obviously that comes with a healthy dose of scepticism. We have been bitten before."

"I agree. I used to be a Green, and their commitment to Māori issues is admirable. But both parties fail to recognise the necessary transformations required to the state in order to in any way adequately honour te Tiriti o Waitangi. Look, Labour have good intentions, but their best idea is a new 'council', that is, in their words, totally subordinate to parliament. That's the extend of their commitment to the treaty, and we really do deserve better. 180 years of colonisation and we've still been relegated to an afterthought. Pākehā party means pākehā solutions."

"Āe, that's true. We've had enough bodies in government, and so many have been totally tokenistic. It's concerning to hear that that's the best idea the Labour Party could envision."

"That's right. The establishment parties are too afraid of radical transformation of the colonial state, because that's a threat to their largely illegitimate power. I don't believe any party can possibly claim to recognise te Tiriti o Waitangi if they simultaneously refuse to give up power to Māori. It's hypocritical, it's just words, and it's what we see from both the Labour and National parties. At least with the National Party they don't even pretend to believe it. But pākehā and the Crown refuse to recognise that by giving up their power, sharing it, we can have a brighter future. Kotahi te hoe, ka ū te waka ki uta."

"E tika ana, he mea nui kia mahi tahi. I find your arguments very refreshing, and very compelling. I hope you do well, I will be cheering for you!"

"Aw, tēnā rawa atu koe, kia ora!"

imnofox went on and on to all the houses, pleading the case for all voters to vote two ticks Internet