Like many, we watched the PM’s performance last Wednesday with mixed emotions. We felt happy for those who are now able to return to work and recreation, reopen their businesses and begin the process of mending relationships.

It’s important that we celebrate our ‘wins’. We know this walking back of the rules was down to the power of the people. We all made this happen.

Every single person who stood up in one forum or another and said ‘This is not ok’ played a part.

The people standing on roadsides and bridges week after week holding pop-up signs helped to spread the message and encourage others to think critically.

Those who delivered flyers, attended marches, shared memes, or struck up conversations with strangers as they went about their business made a difference.

The protestors at Parliament and all those who supported them were the icing on the end-the-mandates cake.

You all made a difference! It was because of your actions that change happened.

But, it’s also important to acknowledge the flipside following the announcement. The feelings of sadness, frustration, disappointment, and rage towards a Government that cared so little about the lives of those affected by their measures that they couldn’t even acknowledge the suffering and utter devastation their rules had imposed.

Not everyone was granted a reprieve. Our healthcare, aged care, corrections and the border workers remain subject to nonsensical and ineffective mandates. There are no guarantees that people will get their jobs back. Jacinda has also left the door open for individual businesses to make their own decisions as to whether they will continue requiring vax passes for entry or service. It will be up to schools whether they continue to require vaccination for their staff.

The madness is that all one need do right now is look at the data to see how well the suite of measures and punishments have worked…

The Emperor is well and truly naked.

Despite the fact that the vaccines don’t work, our Single Source Of Truth carried on regardless.

To ensure that no one can fully relax, it’s been made clear the measures will not be completely abandoned, but rather kept in the back pocket – just in case they’re needed again.

Image Credit: The BFD

The rope around the neck of the public has been loosened a little but we all still feel it there, ever-present.

WHERE TO FROM HERE?

We know many of you may never feel the same again. These experiences have changed us.

There was life before all this nonsense and life after.

People may now be permitted to re-enter society in many ways but plenty don’t want to.

We have sought new and improved alternatives for many of the things we’ve found ourselves excluded from. Anything from hair cuts and shared meals with others to alternative education options, open-to-all markets and non-discriminatory service providers.

We quite like our new lives and the incredible people we have found to share them with. We have discovered what’s truly important and we are conscious of where, and with whom, we spend our money. Integrity and courage will be rewarded from here on in.

We are taking hold of the steering wheel and we are choosing where we go to from here.

We are setting up systems of resilience so that *we will never again be subject to the whim of tyrannical leaders and their intentionally divisive and destructive rules.

The people are taking their power back and it’s truly invigorating.

Our local Freedom Groups are pumping and 2022 will be the year they really come into their own. Will you be involved in changing the social landscape of NZ? We’d love to have you there! If you haven’t already, get involved with your local group today.

When we work together we are mighty!

Alia xx

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