NZ Outdoors & Freedom Party
New Zealand Outdoors Party | |
---|---|
![]() | |
Co-leaders | Alan Simmons Sue Grey |
Founded | September 2015 |
Ideology | Anti-1080 Environmentalism |
International affiliation | None |
Colours | Green |
MPs in the House of Representatives | 0 / 120 [1] |
Website | |
outdoorsparty.co.nz | |
The New Zealand Outdoors Party is a registered political party in New Zealand. The party is led by co-leaders Alan Simmons and Sue Grey[2] and seeks to protect New Zealand's environment and "outdoors heritage."[3]
Principles and policies
At its foundation, the New Zealand Outdoors Party aimed to protect the environment and New Zealand's "outdoors heritage",[3] and advocates for clean, full and unmodified rivers, greater protection from development for the conservation estate, large game animals to be managed by all hunters for recreation and conservation benefit, removal of ecologically destructive trawling practices within the inshore fishery and a Futures Commission to determine environmental limits to the growth of population, tourism, economy and infrastructure.[4] Its policy platform now includes support for medicinal cannabis and opposition to the use of 1080 poison, vaccines, COVID-19 restrictions, and 5G technology.[5][6]
History
Creation and 2017 election
The New Zealand Outdoors Party was launched in September 2015 by co-leaders Alan Simmons and David Haynes with the aim of protecting New Zealand's environment and outdoor heritage.[3] In its December 2016 newsletter, the party stated it was "pushing hard" to get to 500 members so that it could register.[7] In a letter to Rural News, Simmons claimed the party "has possibly more members than some parties already in Parliament", though did not give figures.[8]
On 22 July 2017 the party applied for registration with the Electoral Commission, [9] and this was granted on 11 August 2017.[10] The party stood four electorate candidates in Nelson, Taupō, Maungakiekie and Hutt South. The same four candidates were also on the party list for the 2017 general election.[4] During the 2017 general election, the Outdoors Party gained 0.1% of the party vote and failed to win any seats in the New Zealand House of Representatives.[11]
2020 election
Following the de-registration of the Ban 1080 Party in 2017, many Ban 1080 supporters moved to the Outdoors Party.[12] In January 2020 the party elected anti-1080 activist Sue Grey as its co-leader.[12]
In March 2020 the party formed an alliance with the Real NZ Party, resulting in the founder and leader of Real NZ, David Moffett, being appointed to the Outdoor Party's board.[13][14] The party subsequently received a broadcasting allocation of $51,821 for the 2020 election.[15]
In April 2020 the party criticised a nationwide lockdown (a response to the Covid-19 pandemic) as "cruel and unreasonable" as it banned hunting and other outdoor activities. They also compared the New Zealand Government to the Nazi Party.[16]
In June 2020, supporters of the party at a rally in Auckland claimed that the September 11 attacks were a false flag operation, promoted flat earth theories, and denounced "mind control" and 5G technology.[17] They also harassed and threatened a young Asian woman after she wiped out chalk slogans saying "it's okay to be white" and "all lives matter". One supporter screamed at the woman to “go back to her own country”, while another said "she wasn't born here, she came here to create shit". Party co-leader Alan Simmons joined the confrontation and reprimanded the woman for her language, saying "you shouldn't be using language like that, a little girl like you". Party member Tracy Livingston, who was also present, tried to ease tension, telling those filming the event that the young woman was "not the enemy" and that everybody was "naturally racist". Party co-leader Sue Grey later told media that the people in the video were not members of the party, that the party did not condone their actions, and that two of the people in the incident had since apologised to her. Simmons also spoke to media afterwards, saying he had "protected the girl" from harm.[18]
In August 2020 co-leader Sue Grey alleged that the Outdoors Party had been the target of a campaign of harassment by supporters of the New Zealand Public Party after it had rejected a takeover offer in April and refused to join an alliance with Advance New Zealand. Public Party leader Billy Te Kahika said that he found the behaviour "absolutely reprehensible" and asked his supporters not to abuse Grey. Te Kahika also said that “the worst and the filthiest behaviour has actually come from Outdoors Party supporters towards [the Public Party]", and that he remained opened to the Outdoors Party joining the alliance.[19]
Around September 2020, at least six nominated candidates pulled out of the party or switched allegiance to other parties, including going to the New Zealand Public Party or the Social Credit Party or to found a new party called the Attica Project.[6]
The party won 2,596 party votes in the election, or 0.1% of the total.[20]
Electoral results
Election | Candidates nominated | Seats won | Votes | Vote share % | Government | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Electorate | List | |||||
2017 | 4 | 4 | 0 / 120
|
1,620 | 0.1% | Not In Parliament |
2017 | TBD | 28 | 0 / 120
|
2,596 | 0.1% | Not In Parliament |
See also
References
- ^ "Members of Parliament". Retrieved 6 May 2020.
- ^ "Meet the Co-Leaders and Team". NZ Outdoors Party. Retrieved 12 January 2020.
- ^ a b c "A new political party based on the Outdoors." Scoop. 21 September 2015. Retrieved 21 September 2015.
- ^ a b "The Outdoors Party wants to get into Parliament". NewsHub. 22 August 2017. Retrieved 22 August 2017.
- ^ Cherie Sivignon (14 January 2020). "Lawyer Sue Grey aims to win Nelson electorate seat for NZ Outdoors Party". Stuff. Retrieved 27 August 2020.
Among its policies, the NZ Outdoors Party calls for the immediate cessation and use of 1080 poison, supports the use of medicinal cannabis and seeks a moratorium on the allocation, auction and rollout of 5G spectrum licences until there has been a full public inquiry into the costs and benefits of 5G, effects on human health and the natural environment and how these can best be avoided or managed.
- ^ a b Alex Brae (18 September 2020). "Candidates defect in all directions in ugly minor party battle". The Spinoff. Retrieved 18 September 2020.
- ^ "NZ Outdoors Party Newsletter December 2016". www.outdoorsparty.co.nz. Retrieved 22 January 2017.
- ^ "NZ Outdoors Party Newsletter". www.outdoorsparty.co.nz. Retrieved 22 January 2017.
- ^ "Application to register political party and logo". Electoral Commission. 22 July 2017. Retrieved 28 July 2017.
- ^ "Registration of NZ Outdoors Party and Logo". Electoral Commission. 11 August 2017. Retrieved 11 August 2017.
- ^ "2017 General Election - Official Result". New Zealand Electoral Commission. Retrieved 7 October 2017.
- ^ a b "Outdoors Party reckons it can ride an anti-1080 wave to Parliament in 2020". NewsHub. 12 January 2020. Retrieved 27 August 2020.
- ^ "Former Rugby CEO David Moffett Joins The NZ Outdoors Party As Executive Director". Scoop. 23 March 2020. Retrieved 8 April 2020.
- ^ "March 2020 Newsletter". NZ Outdoors Party.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ "2020 Broadcasting Allocation Decision Released". Electoral Commission. 29 May 2020. Retrieved 29 May 2020.
- ^ "Covid 19 coronavirus: NZ Outdoors Party criticises lockdown rules". New Zealand Herald. 5 April 2020. Retrieved 27 August 2020.
- ^ Charlie Mitchell (1 August 2020). "The conspiracists' election: How the farthest fringes of politics are making a play for the centre". Stuff. Retrieved 27 August 2020.
- ^ "Watch: Woman told 'go back to your own country' for wiping out 'it's okay to be white' chalk". The New Zealand Herald. 11 June 2020.
- ^ Andrea Vance (1 August 2020). "Fringe party leader alleges campaign of harassment by Billy TK supporters". Stuff. Archived from the original on 6 August 2020. Retrieved 27 August 2020.
- ^ "2020 General Election and Referendums - Preliminary Count: Nationwide Party Votes - 100.0% of results counted". New Zealand Electoral Commission. 18 October 2020. Retrieved 18 October 2020.
External links