Thank you for helping us spread the message that the foundation of our democracy is under attack. 

At the 11th hour yesterday evening, after making it through the legal department, the Herald agreed to publish our advertisement. 

This is not just a silly stunt. We need to have more New Zealanders aware that our democratic rights are being threatened, and once lost, will be hard to recover. 

Our rights and protections, as equal citizens, are being taken away. The undermining of our democratic rights was confirmed when the Minister of Local Government Kieran McAnulty, said: 

"There are provisions in our laws around the Treaty that aren’t democratic..There are provisions that we have in this country that wouldn’t stand up to a purely academic democratic framework.

But that’s not how we work in New Zealand." 

He is wrong! This is how we work in New Zealand – one person, one vote. 

As mentioned last week, we have important issues to talk about before this election. Front of mind for every New Zealander, going into this election, must be the protection of your democratic rights. 

We are seeing, every day, what a dangerous road we walk down, when we differentiate the rights of entire groups of people based on ethnicity. Allocating guilt and the status of the oppressor to one, allocating victimhood and special rights to another. 

It does not work and has never worked, anywhere in the world. 

Don’t let this Government divide us further. 

Together we are making a difference. We are exposing the failure of these destructive race-based policies and divisions. 

It is through your help and support that we can force the uncomfortable conversations and hold this Government to account. 

We must not allow our democratic rights to be traded for political capital at this election. Each of us has issues and concerns that affect our day-to-day lives, but that does not justify the Government determining that race is the differentiating factor that elevates some issues above others. 

Whether it is labelled partnership or co-governance the foundation is a manipulation of our democracy.

This Government is using race-based division to alter our democratic rights and gain traction through flawed and dangerous legislation. One Person, One Vote, is exactly how we work in New Zealand. 

And remember, on October 14th the voters strike back ………..