MEDIA RELEASE
May 27, 2014

Internet Party-Mana Partnership A Win For Digital Generation

The Internet Party has hailed its partnership with the MANA movement as a win for young New Zealanders.

The deal – brokered by Internet Party founder Kim Dotcom, party chief executive Vikram Kumar and MANA officials including leader Hone Harawira – has been formalised in a Memorandum of Understanding that will see the two parties submit a combined list of candidates to contest the party vote in the 2014 General Election.

While both parties will retain their separate identities, a new political party called Internet MANA will be formed.

“Our ambition has always been to get the voice of young New Zealanders – the digital generation – heard in Parliament,” said Mr Kumar.

“Every vote for Internet MANA will effectively strengthen the momentum for change and hope in New Zealand.

“For a new party, achieving the 5% party vote threshold is incredibly tough because the system is loaded in favour of the incumbent parties. This is one of the reasons why we have come to an agreement for an alliance with the MANA movement. Together we are stronger. Together we will be able to achieve our ambition of building a better, fairer and more inclusive New Zealand, as well as advancing our party-specific principles and policies.

“The Internet Party’s vision and mission remain the same. People who believe in us can vote Internet MANA in the knowledge their vote will make a difference.”

Internet MANA will submit a combined list to contest the party vote, with candidates drawn from the Internet Party and MANA movement as component parties. The combined list will be finalised following the conclusion of the Internet Party’s candidate selection process.

MANA will have first, third and fourth positions on the list, with the Internet Party taking second, fifth and sixth spots. The Internet Party will also announce its leader this week, and its candidate selection process will culminate at Queen's Birthday weekend with final presentations by applicants to party members.

Both parties will retain separate identities to contest electorate seats – MANA in the Maori seats and the Internet Party in selected electorates. The parties will not compete against one another in any electorate.

“The Internet Party will be in Parliament after the 2014 General Election,” said Mr Kumar. “A party vote for Internet MANA means we will be a position to advance our policies and effect the change our members want and that New Zealand desperately needs. Every vote will make a difference.”

The full Memorandum of Understanding between the Internet Party and the MANA movement can be found HERE.

ENDS

26 May, 2014
Memorandum Of Understanding Between the MANA Movement and the Internet Party

Memorandum Of Understanding

As at Sunday 25th May 2014

Between the MANA Movement and the Internet Party

The Parties Agree:

A: Registration

1. To register a new political party (referred to herein as the ‘New Party’) and for the Internet Party and MANA Movement (herein referred to as the ‘component parties’) to provide 275 names and written authorities (if required) of existing or new members to become founding members of the New Party.

2. To develop a constitution, candidate selection rules and logo for the New Party that reflects the principles of the relationship and this agreement.

3. To submit a complete application for registration of the New Party in early June 2014.

4. To inform the Electoral Commission that the component parties will be component parties of the New Party.

B: Name and Logo

1. The full name of the New Party will be ‘Internet Party and MANA Movement’ and short name ‘Internet MANA’.

2. That both parties will work collaboratively to develop a logo for the New Party which will be a composite formed by the Internet Party’s logo and a new logo for MANA. If the Electoral Commission does not approve this logo, both parties will work together to develop an acceptable one using the principle
of equal partnership.

C: Leadership, Spokespeople and Party Roles

7. To establish a joint New Party Council to make decisions on behalf of the New Party with four representatives from each component party, including :

• a). Hone Harawira MP as the founding Leader of the New Party.

• b). The leader of the Internet Party as Chairperson of the New Party Council.

• c). The Secretary of the MANA Movement as the Secretary of the Council.

• d). The Secretary of the New Party (to be appointed by the Internet party in consultation with the MANA Movement).

• e). Two other representatives from each of the component parties, appointed by those parties.

1. To review the leadership positions of the New Party after the 2014 election to reflect the representation and leadership of the New Party in Parliament.

2. To jointly appoint party spokespeople or co-spokespeople for the New Party as agreed, who may speak on behalf of the New Party and advocate for the agreed New Party policy platform.

3. To allow each component party to have it’s own policy spokespeople
(who may or may not be the same persons as the new party spokespeople) who may publicly advocate their own party’s policy but commit to consulting with relevant spokespeople (including those from the other party) on any new policy development and announcement.

D: Government Formation

1. To publicly and formally commit in writing that all candidates from both component parties, if elected to Parliament, will not support the formation or ongoing operation of any government that includes the National Party.

2. To meet together within three days of the 2014 General Election polling day to discuss and plan negotiations for involvement and potential support for any new government and to do so before any post-election meeting with or commitment to any other political party, leader or representative.

E: Candidates and Party List

1. To only submit one Party List for the New Party in accordance with the candidate selection rules.

2. That the MANA movement will appoint the first, third and fourth and positions on the New Party list.

3. That the Internet Party will appoint the second, fifth and sixth positions on the New Party List.

4. That subsequent positions on the New Party List will alternate between MANA Movement and Internet Party candidates.

5. To stand electorate candidates under the individual party names and logos.

F: Policy

1. To develop an agreed policy platform for the New Party that all elected candidates from the component parties (either by way of the party list or via electorates) agree to vote for and implement to the best of their abilities in Parliament.

2. To allow each component party to develop and advocate it’s own policy platform but to consult with the other component party during the process of new policy development and prior to the public release of any new policy. This is to ensure that component party policies are not directly contradictory with the other component party’s policies or the agreed New Party policies.

3. To agree that each component party’s MPs are free to vote in Parliament tosupport and to publicly promote their own party’s policies as long as the development and announcement of that policy has been consistent with this agreement and the rules of the New Party.

G: Campaign

1. To establish a Campaign Co-ordination Committee to coordinate the party vote campaign, with each party contributing their available resources, including funding, personnel and expertise, to maximising the party vote for the New Party list and to assist with the election of candidates from component parties or the New Party as agreed.

2. The Campaign Co-ordinating Committee shall consist of two representatives from each component party, including :

o a). The Secretary of the MANA Movement (who shall be chair) and one other representative of the MANA Movement.

o b). Two representatives of the Internet Party.

o c). The Leaders of the MANA Movement and Internet Party who shall be ex-officio.

3. Upon signing of this agreement to immediately establish a joint campaign fund to assist campaigning in strategic electorates and to resource joint campaign planning.

4. To run a ‘Get out the Vote’ campaign across the nation aimed at identifying, enrolling and encouraging to vote as many new and current non-voters as possible, specifically (but not exclusively) targeting the young, Maori and Pasifika individuals.

H: Term, Amendment and Termination of the Agreement

1. That either component party may give written notice of any proposal to amend this agreement and, if required, any rules of the New Party. The request may
only be initiated by the passing of a resolution by the initiating component party’s Executive. The notice must state the reasons for the initiating party wanting to change the agreement and must give an opportunity for the New Party Council
to meet and for the other party to respond to the initiating party’s proposal within three days. The other party’s Executive must meet and vote to accept or reject the amendment within seven days of the notice.

2. That either component party may give seven days written notice of their intention to terminate this agreement. The notice must state the reasons for the party wanting to terminate the agreement and must give an opportunity for the New Party Council to meet and for the other party to respond to the initiating party’s notice at least three days before it takes effect. The notice may only be initiated by the passing of a resolution by a component party’s Executive and must be confirmed by the same process after the New Party Council has met to discuss the notice.

3. Unless terminated as per section 25, this agreement will remain in force until at least six weeks after the 2014 General Election polling day. The component parties will meet together within five weeks of the 2014 General Election to review the agreement.

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