PLUS: New Interent Party leader Laila Harre talks about the Springbok tour, nuclear weapons, welfare, free tertiary education. It's an insult to those of us who have spent 20 years actually fighting for internet issues.
One News has reported that Kim Dotcom has put $4 million into the Internet Party. No wonder he has no money for creditors, nannies or staff!
I recall the CTU (Laila Harre’s current employer) said donation limit should be $5,000. The Greens (her employer before that) say $35,000 limit. But I bet you neither condemn Dotcom donating $4 million to buy a pet party, despite it being 800 times and 110 times what they said the limit should be.
Now just imagine that say the ACT Party received a $4 million donation from a convicted criminal fighting extradition for alleged financial crimes. Could you imagine the outrage from the left who would spend months decrying it and protesting against it?
Anyone who thinks this is not about trying to prevent extradition has to be kidding themselves. Why else would he be spending $4 million? It certainly isn’t to promote Internet issues.
The new Internet Party leader admitted today she actually knows almost nothing about Internet issues such as net neutrality, the HDC Bill, filtering, software patents, copyright, cybersafety, digital divide, rural braodband, ultrafast broadband, telco competition issues, the proposed copper tax, ISP liability and the like.
Here’s what she talked about in her press conference as Internet Party leader:
Does that look like an Internet Party to you? It’s an insult to those of us who have spent 20 years actually fighting for Internet issues. Her issues are the issuees of the Alliance and Mana.
She’s a great MP for the typical hard left issues. But her selection as leader shows that the $4 million is purely about trying to change the government, and has nothing to do with promoting policies good for the Internet.
UPDATE: Matthew Beveridge points out the Internet Party Leader has sent fewer tweets in 12 months than he does in a typical day. Laila as Leader of the Internet Party is like having Colin Craig as the Leader of the Aotearoa Legalise Cannabis Party!
Did she even join the party before she was asked to become its leader? I guarantee you the answer is no.
Political commentator David Farrar posts at Kiwiblog.
