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Jamie MacKay: Does Groundswell NZ have a problem with anti-vaxxers?

Author
The Country,
Publish Date
Tue, 2 Nov 2021, 8:24PM
Photo / Getty Images
Photo / Getty Images

Jamie MacKay: Does Groundswell NZ have a problem with anti-vaxxers?

Author
The Country,
Publish Date
Tue, 2 Nov 2021, 8:24PM

Groundswell NZ, the farmer-led group behind July's "Howl of a Protest", is planning another event on November 21 - "The Mother of all Protests". 

In an interview with The Country’s Jamie Mackay, the Minister of Agriculture Damien O'Connor was asked if he would consider meeting with Groundswell NZ. 

Yesterday on The Country, Groundswell NZ co-founder Bryce McKenzie denied the group was anti-vax, or that it had ties to Bishop Brian Tamaki. 

This came after one of the group's coordinators was photographed meeting with leaders of Destiny Church. 

"He contacted us some time ago before the coalition of freedoms and rights people started having these get-togethers," McKenzie told Mackay. 

"He said that he was meeting with the Tamakis and we said that wasn't a good idea and that if he was doing that he certainly wasn't to be using the Groundswell name because we didn't want them involved." 

Listen to Jamie Mackay interview Bryce McKenzie on The Country below: 

McKenzie said it was something the coordinator was "doing personally" and Groundswell NZ didn't want to be "guilty by association". 

"Whatever individuals get involved in we have no right to stop them. We asked them not to do it. If they do it as an individual - what can we do?" 

Mackay told O'Connor that McKenzie and his co-founder Laurie Paterson were not anti-vax, although he was concerned "The Mother of all Protests" could be "hijacked by extremists". 

O'Connor said he thought Groundswell had done good work but risked being "dragged down by the people who may not represent the majority". 

Jamie MacKay joined Heather du Plessis-Allan and told her that now is not the right time to be protesting.

He says you've got to pick your battles. 

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