Groundswell NZ

Groundswell NZ is a farming advocacy group in New Zealand that was formed to oppose the New Zealand Government's National Policy Statement on Freshwater. The group has also sought to oppose or revise freshwater, indigenous biodiversity, climate change, pastoral land reform policies, and the Three Waters reform programme affecting farmers and rural communities.^[1][2] On 16 July 2021, Groundswell NZ staged a nationwide Howl of a Protest campaign in between 47 and 57 cities and towns throughout New Zealand to protest what they regarded as "increasing Government interference, unworkable regulations, and unjustified costs" on the rural sector.^[3][4][5] On 21 November 2021, Groundswell NZ held a second series of nationwide protests known as the Mother of All Protests.^[6][7]

Goals and positions[]

Groundswell NZ has advocated the elimination of the Labour Government's National Policy Statement on Freshwater, the National Policy Statement on Indigenous Biodiversity, the Crown Pastoral Land Reform Bill, and so-called "unworkable elements" of the New Zealand Emissions Trading Scheme. In addition, the group has called for overseas seasonal rural workers to be given priority in managed isolation and quarantine (MIQ) facilities in New Zealand.^{[8][9][10][2]}

Groundswell NZ has also called for the scrapping of the Government's Clean Car Package rebate scheme (the so-called "Ute tax") on the grounds that there are no electric alternatives to utes, which are widely used by farmers, horticulturalists, industry support people, and tradespersons.^[8] The Government's Clean Car Package rebate scheme places a fee on higher-emission vehicles such as utes. Farmers and tradespersons regard the new rebate scheme as discriminatory.^[10][2]

In addition, the group has called for local councils to halt Resource Management Act planning processes, claiming that significant natural areas, wetlands and landscapes were having a negative impact on people and their property values. Groundswell has also urged landowners to deny access to councils or their agents wanting to undertake mapping or information gathering of their properties.^[11][2] Groundswell has also opposed the Government's proposed and the Three Waters reform programme.^[2]

History[]

Groundswell NZ was founded by two West Otago farmers named Bryce McKenzie and Laurie Paterson, who were opposed to the Government's regulations on grazing, harvesting and freshwater use. The group first attracted media attention in October 2020 when McKenzie and Paterson organised a tractor protest in the South Island town of Gore to protest against the Labour Government's new winter grazing and freshwater regulations. This protest attracted 120 participants. Groundswell NZ subsequently became a national movement organised through the social media platform Facebook, with the number of followers growing from 900 in October 2020 to 14,000 by mid-July 2021.^[12]

Howl of a Protest[]

A ute parked on Queen Street, Auckland accusing Prime Minister Ardern of promoting Communism.

On 5 July 2021, McKenzie invited farmers across New Zealand to participate in a nationwide "Howl of a Protest" campaign on 16 July to protest the Government's new and proposed freshwater regulations, winter grazing rules and indigenous biodiversity regulations. Protesters were encouraged to bring their utes, tractors and dogs into towns across New Zealand ranging from Gore in the South Island to Kerikeri in the North Island. Protests were organised in 20 towns including Alexandra, Gore, Invercargill, Mosgiel, Oamaru, Greymouth, Blenheim, Thames, Hastings, Palmerston North, and Kerikeri.^[9][10]

On 16 July, Groundswell staged protests in 57 cities and towns across New Zealand including Auckland, Christchurch, Dunedin, Mosgiel, Whangārei, Dargaville, Kerikeri, Kaitaia, Levin, Dannevirke, Te Awamutu, Amberley, Greymouth, Alexandra, Wanaka, Invercargill, Timaru, Gisborne, and Hastings. The only city that Groundswell left off the protest circuit was the capital Wellington, which organisers described as an intentional decision.^{[3][5][4][13]} Pukekohe to Auckland organiser Scott Bright said that 50 tractors would be escorted by police along the Southern Motorway before progressing up the city into Queen Street. Bright also confirmed that vegetable growers would be donating three tonnes of vegetables to the Auckland City Mission.^[3]

In Christchurch, a Groundswell protest was diverted from the city's Cathedral Square due to the large number of participants.^[3] In Dunedin, organisers decided not to stop in the city but to instead drive through the city's Octagon at noon before heading to a speech in Mosgiel. In Dunedin, a counter-protester holding a sign which read "No farming on a dead planet" had it ripped from her by a bystander.^[3][4] National Party Member of Parliament Nicola Willis attended the Wanaka protest. Timaru's streets were occupied by hundreds of utes, trucks, and tractors as South Canterbury farmers and tradespersons protests the Government's regulations.^[4]

In Gisborne, protesters travelled in 350 vehicles on Gisborne's main road. Notable participants included All Blacks veteran Ian Kirkpatrick.^[13] The Hastings protest saw 800 vehicles drive through the city with one local organiser comparing it to the 1981 Springbok Tour.^[14] Protests were also held in Nelson and Tākaka in the South Island.^[15] The Katikati protest in the North Island's Bay of Plenty region was jointly organised by Groundswell NZ and the KKCando Concerned Ratepayers.^[16]

The protests wrapped up at 5pm New Zealand time. Auckland organiser Scott Bright claimed that the thousands of protesting farmers rallying together demonstrated "the seriousness" of the impacts of regulatory costs and the emotional toll on the rural community. Other participants drew attention to the importance of the farming community to the country's food security and expressed frustration with alleged Government "bullying."^[5] Organiser McKenzie stated that the Howl of a Protest campaign went "unbelievably well" and that feedback from the general public was positive. Though the protests were largely peaceful, media company Newshub reported that several participants had carried offensive signs expressing misogynistic attacks on Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and attacking the increased use of the Māori language in New Zealand. McKenzie disavowed the offensive signs as not representative of farmers' views.^[17]

"Mother of All Protests"[]

A ute participating in the Dunedin leg of the Mother of All Protests.

In mid August, Groundswell NZ co-founder Bryce McKenzie confirmed that the group would be organising a nationwide protest campaign in November 2021 to oppose allegedly "unworkable regulations" relating to freshwater, indigenous biodiversity, and climate change.^[18] Co-founder Laurie Paterson stated that the second planned protest campaign was in response to the Government's refusal to address their concerns about freshwater and climate change mitigation policies.^[19]

On 20 September, Groundswell NZ co-founder Paterson confirmed that the November protest would be known as the "Mother of All Protests" and would occur nationwide on 21 November. This protest campaign was intended to build a momentum for the "Groundswell Gathering" that would be held at the New Zealand Parliament in February 2022.^[11] After Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and Minister of Agriculture Damien O'Connor declined to meet with McKenzie and Paterson, the duo confirmed that Groundswell would proceed with its "Mother of All Protests" campaign on 21st November.^[20][21]

On 21 November, Groundswell NZ held its "Mother of All Protests" across 70 towns and centres including Kaitaia, Whangarei, Auckland, Tauranga, New Plymouth, Taupō, Wellington, Nelson, Greymouth, Christchurch, Timaru, Temuka, Geraldine, Waimate, Fairlie, Alexandra, Balclutha, Bluff, Gore, Invercargill, Mosgiel, Oamaru, Palmerston, Queenstown, Stewart Island, Te Anau, and Wanaka.^{[22][23][24][25][6][26]} The Wairarapa protest was cancelled due to concerns that the event could be hijacked by anti-vaccination elements opposed to the Government's COVID-19 lockdown and vaccination policies. Groundswell also published a list of acceptable signage on its website to counteract the problem of racist and offensive messages during the previous "Howl of a Protest" rally.^[6][7]

Meeting with James Shaw[]

In late December 2021, Climate Change Minister James Shaw confirmed that he had agreed to visit Southland and meet the leaders of Groundswell at the request of National Party MP Joe Mooney. McKenzie confirmed that Shaw had agreed to meet them but had no settled on a date.^[27]

Issues and controversies[]

Allegations of racism and misogyny[]

Groundswell NZ has attracted criticism for alleged racism and misogyny after several participants in its Howl of a Protests rallies carried racist and misogynistic messages. In response, co-founder McKenzie disavowed the offensive signs as unrepresentative of farmers' views.^[17][28] In response to the negative publicity, the group published a list of acceptable signage on its website prior to the Mother of All Protests campaign in November 2021.^[23]

On 16 November 2021, Groundswell's Hamilton organiser and Waikato dairy co-op Tatua director Ross Townshend drew controversy after he made an offensive social media post disparaging Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta. Townshend's actions were condemned by Groundswell co-founder Paterson, who reiterated that Groundswell was not a racist organisation and did not support his views. Townshend was all relieved of his role as the organisation's Hamilton organiser. In addition, Townshend resigned from Tatua. The company's chairman Stephen Allan also condemned Townshend's actions and issued a personal apology to Mahuta.^[29][30]

On 18 November 2021, Economic and Regional Development Minister Stuart Nash claimed that Groundswell NZ's website promoted racism and vaccine hesitancy in response to a question by ACT Member of Parliament Mark Cameron. In response, Groundswell co-founder McKenzie rejected allegations that the group was racist or anti-vax, emphasizing that he and Paterson were fully vaccinated against COVID-19. McKenzie added that the group had accepted the resignation of Groundswell member and Tatua director Ross Townshend for posting an offensive social media post of Mahuta. McKenzie also stated that the group regularly removed racist and anti-vaccine content from their social media accounts.^[31]

On 12 December, McKenzie and Paterson publicly distanced themselves from racist participants at Groundswell rallies during an interview with TVNZ journalist John Campbell on the 1 News current affairs programme "Special: Anger, Anxiety & Us." The co-founders reiterated that the organisation was against Government over-regulation of farming and stated that participants who had attended Groundswell protests with racist and abusive signs attack Māori and Prime Minister Ardern were not part of Groundswell. The pair also denied that they and their organisation were climate change deniers, with Paterson stating that climate change was happening wile McKenzie acknowledging that they had difficult in checking people out in a nationwide movement.^[32]

COVID-19 pandemic[]

On 21 August 2021, Groundswell supporter Damianne Wells attracted media attention after she staged a lone protest outside the Unichem Alexandra Pharmacy in Alexandra, Otago. Her protest was in support of the organisation's campaign calling on people to "toot" in support of farmers for two minutes every Friday afternoon for the next three weeks, prior to the planned November protests campaign. Wells denied that her protest was motivated by opposition to the Government's lockdown policies in response to the Delta variant community outbreak.^[33]

In early November 2021, Groundswell co-founder McKenzie denied being an anti-vaxxer after he refused to participate in a Dairy NZ promotional video encouraging farmers to get vaccinated against COVID-19. McKenzie claimed that the organisation was not anti-vaccination but had decided not to comment on the issue to its followers "because it was a political and emotional issue they did not want to be a part of."^[34]

Stuff reported that the group's Pukekohe and Auckland coordinator Scott Bright had met with Destiny Church leaders Brian Tamaki and his wife Hannah Tamaki, who have regularly criticised COVID-19 vaccines and led anti-lockdown protests. Bright donated vegetables to the Freedom and Rights Coalition (of which Tamaki is a co-founder) and participated in one of their protests, but claimed that he attended in his personal capacity.^[34]

Links to the NZ Taxpayers' Union[]

In November 2021, controversy emerged on social media after links to the New Zealand Taxpayers' Union, a right-wing pressure group became apparent after a registration to the protest's web address was listed as "NZ Taxpayer's Union". The registration subsequently was taken down and replaced with "THE CAMPAIGN COMPANY LIMITED", a business in the name of Jordan Williams, the organisation's director.^[35][28][36]

Online petitions[]

On 11 November 2021, Meta Platforms (Facebook) apologised to Groundswell NZ for blocking links to a website launched by the group called "Enough is Enough," which allows people to send messages to Minister of Agriculture O'Connor about regulations that the group considers "unworkable." Meta explained that content had been mistaken for spam.^[36]

Notes and references[]