The Internet Party has been forced to apologise this afternoon after an out-of-control crowd at one of its rallies began chanting mild criticisms about John Key, before writing a serious and stern letter to an effigy of him.
The crowd of mostly students at Aotea Square in Auckland began to get worked up when party founder Kim Dotcom began making a speech that suggested it might be time to change the Government, perhaps not now, but certainly in one of the elections in three or six years time.
This led to the crowd chanting mild criticisms such as “Come on, John!”, “I like John Key, but only a little bit!” and “The current fiscal situation is not as good as I had hoped!”
Before long, a group of young males within the crowd had hauled an effigy of the Prime Minister made of staplers up to the raised platform where Dotcom was speaking.
One witness said she and other bystanders were “horrified” as they watched the youths write a stern but respectful letter to the effigy, expressing their long-term concerns about the country’s social economy.
“I don’t care what your politics are, whether you like the man or not,” she said. “There are just some things that are never acceptable; that we shouldn’t be teaching our children.”
Internet Party leader Laila Harre has already issued a formal apology for what took place at the rally, saying that it did not meet her standards – or anyone’s standards – of “proper discourse.”
She hoped New Zealanders would understand that tensions were high after the release of journalist Nicky Hager’s new book, Sort of Alright but Perhaps a Little Bit Too Rough Politics.
After release of the book, harsh words have been lobbed at the Government from the media, with two of its most vocal critics, political commentators Duncan Garner and Patrick Gower, suggesting the book had made them entertain the possibility that this might not be the best Government ever.
Labour leader David Cunliffe declared that his party was “disappointed” in the Government, but “not mad,” while some are referring to the unfolding revelations as “New Zealand’s equivalent of that time George W. Bush struggled to open the door.”
Despite all this, Prime Minister Key has been defiant in his language about the book, saying “I’m very sorry. The actions and behaviour of my office, and my ministers, have been significantly below the standard which should be expected in any administration. I will be taking urgent action to discipline those responsible and help moderate the tone of politics in my Government.”
With just one month to go until the election, recent polls indicate that a large majority of New Zealanders are “just happy to be alive” and “love one another.”