Just Acting up
New Zealand Listener|September 30 - October 6 2023
While pre-election performances career from farcical to fatiguing, hapless voters are left counting the days until October 14.
Michele Hewitson
Just Acting up

Just when you thought the election campaign couldn't get even more bonkers, it got even more bonkers at Act's campaign launch at Auckland's Civic Theatre.

They'd already had what everyone thought was their campaign launch back in June at the SkyCity Theatre, where Act leader David Seymour, also known as the Entertainer, drove on stage in a little yellow car. But, hey, who couldn't use a little more spectacle in this dreary election campaign?

So, how do you top the death-defying act of driving a little car on stage? Poof! By making Seymour perhaps we should call him Mr Magic - magically disappear in a puff of Barbie pink smoke. More than a few people would be happy to see him disappear permanently, so that was perhaps not the smartest of tricks.

But then poof! - a clown jumps up in Mr Magic's audience. This was the huge and hugely annoying fellow who popped up over a fence to disrupt National leader Christopher Luxon's press conference in August. He had previously heckled Prime Minister Chris Hipkins at the Õtara Markets. His name is apparently Karl Mokaraka, a candidate for Vision New Zealand, a circus aligned to Destiny Church. Mokaraka likes to shout. He likes attention. He'd like some votes, too. So, in the unlikely event that you want to give him yours, just look for Annoying Shouty Man on the ballot paper.

How did he manage to infiltrate the campaign launch? Not the same way those five now-resigned Act candidates managed to infiltrate the party's list. He wriggled his way in by wearing a false moustache.

Getting rid of the 'tache was the easy bit; getting rid of him was hard. During a 10-minute circus act to get rid of Mokaraka, some over-stimulated Act supporters decided to join in and began whacking some members of the media with their signs. Whump! A camera geezer fell into some seats and was smacked in the noggin by an elderly lady.

Bu hikaye New Zealand Listener dergisinin September 30 - October 6 2023 sayısından alınmıştır.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

Bu hikaye New Zealand Listener dergisinin September 30 - October 6 2023 sayısından alınmıştır.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

NEW ZEALAND LISTENER DERGISINDEN DAHA FAZLA HIKAYETümünü görüntüle
First-world problem
New Zealand Listener

First-world problem

Harrowing tales of migrants attempting to enter the US highlight the political failure to fully tackle the problem.

time-read
3 dak  |
September 9, 2024
Applying intelligence to AI
New Zealand Listener

Applying intelligence to AI

I call it the 'Terminator Effect', based on the premise that thinking machines took over the world.

time-read
2 dak  |
September 9, 2024
Nazism rears its head
New Zealand Listener

Nazism rears its head

Smirky Höcke, with his penchant for waving with a suspiciously straight elbow and an open palm, won't get to be boss of either state.

time-read
2 dak  |
September 9, 2024
Staying ahead of the game
New Zealand Listener

Staying ahead of the game

Will the brave new world of bipartisanship that seems to be on offer with an Infrastructure Commission come to fruition?

time-read
4 dak  |
September 9, 2024
Grasping the nettle
New Zealand Listener

Grasping the nettle

Broccoli is horrible. It smells, when being cooked, like cat pee.

time-read
3 dak  |
September 9, 2024
Hangry? Eat breakfast
New Zealand Listener

Hangry? Eat breakfast

People who don't break their fast first thing in the morning report the least life satisfaction.

time-read
3 dak  |
September 9, 2024
Chemical reaction
New Zealand Listener

Chemical reaction

Nitrates in processed meats are well known to cause harm, but consumed from plant sources, their effect is quite different.

time-read
4 dak  |
September 9, 2024
Me and my guitar
New Zealand Listener

Me and my guitar

Australian guitarist Karin Schaupp sticks to the familiar for her Dunedin concerts.

time-read
2 dak  |
September 9, 2024
Time is on my side
New Zealand Listener

Time is on my side

Age does not weary some of our much-loved musicians but what keeps them on the road?

time-read
7 dak  |
September 9, 2024
The kids are not alright
New Zealand Listener

The kids are not alright

Nuanced account details how China's blessed generation has been replaced by one consumed by fear and hopelessness.

time-read
4 dak  |
September 9, 2024