David Seymour is using our kids as political tools

Political neutrality isn't a thing but if it is - David Seymour is bad at it

Last week must have been one of David Seymour’s worst weeks on this planet. He was humiliated in the House and then globally. He’s facing the fact that in an attempt to divide the country, he just united it…and worst of all, he realised his only hope - the younger generation - don’t even like him.

This is despite the fact that there is probably no other politician in history who has tried to attract the attention of teenagers and young adults quite like David Seymour.

Since 2014, Seymour has been using Snapchat to talk to children online, some as young as 14. He has repeatedly defended this practice, despite widespread condemnation. He has also defended housing minister Chris Bishop, 41 and a father of two, who also repeatedly talked to minors on Snapchat. Bishop was allegedly confronted in 2017 by a mother upset that he was messaging her daughter and other minors.

If that’s all not bad enough - the New Zealand Herald reported that Seymour sent a picture of a condom to his Snapchat followers, along with the text: “Be safe kids.”

So, that’s the context for Seymour’s latest attempts at influencing young people through any means he can.

David Seymour

Last week, Seymour said several schools were endorsing the hīkoi against his unpopular and divisive Treaty Principals Bill. He claimed, without providing evidence, that schools were organising buses for students to attend the hīkoi and allowing some students to miss exams.

He directed the Ministry - which is meant to be politically neutral - to issue a bulletin that said unless a student was engaged in school-organised activities related to their learning, their absence should be considered unjustified.

As we know, it is actually up to school boards, and not David Seymour, to decide if attendance at a hīkoi is justified or unjustified.

The Act party also knows this, as they’ve encouraged their supporters to write to their school boards. This of course has meant that community volunteers and principals are having to waste the limited time they have dealing with deranged strangers.

In the ironically titled press release ‘School kids should not be pushed into political activity’, David Seymour said - “Parents may also consider whether their representatives on their school’s board deserve re-election.”

They also quietly removed a press release titled ‘School boards should be able to govern how they see fit’, which is very funny and on brand for Act.

Act supporters lining up to lick David Seymour’s boots

Secondary Principals Council head Kate Gainsford told RNZ that Seymour casting aspersions over schools' neutrality on a political issue was unprecedented.

"Given his inflammatory comments and the timing of the advice that's coming out, the amount of advice that's coming out and the focus of the advice coming out. It is open to the interpretation - absolutely - that the minister is using the Ministry of Education's communications to advance a particular line that is of interest particularly to him," Gainsford said.

Personally, I don’t believe in the term ‘political neutrality’. After all, it’s considered political if you say that tamariki need to be fed and housed and educated. If you say we need to protect the environment, feed children, not give guns to white supremacists, or not as adults talk to children online - that could be considered a direct attack on the Act Party and the values they hold dear.

But I know some people like to live in a little fantasy world where nothing is political unless it makes them angry. So let’s talk about that.

The Education and Training Act was passed to formalise, establish and regulate “an education system that honours Te Tiriti o Waitangi”.

It sought to recognise that schools and kura should understand and honour te Tiriti through their actions and decision making.

The Education and Training Act sets out a legal requirement for schools to provide reasonable education about mātauranga Māori, New Zealand history, and the Treaty as part of the curriculum. This is still the law, it has not changed.

Drone footage of an Act Party conference

Now, I am sure Act and National hate the The Education and Training Act. I mean, let’s not forget National cut funding to a hugely successful programme which you could argue breeches the act. And NZ First are trying to sneak a Treaty clause review through, that could have terrible consequences not just for education but for…everything.

But there’s literally NOTHING more political than telling schools and school boards that they now must disregard their commitment to Te Tiriti because David Seymour has decided he wants to change its principles.

There is no political neutrality in saying legislated commitments to Te Tiriti must be put on hold for a man who received just 6% of votes in the election.

As a parent, I am exhausted by the constant attacks on overworked and undervalued teachers by this government and in particular David Seymour. It’s time we show our support of teachers, principals, and board members who are facing horrific abuse just for trying to stop our kids being used by Seymour to push his vile views.

Let’s end this with a quote then eh? I think this one sums it up really:

“Teaching is a difficult enough job. We should be supporting teachers, and not just paying lip service. I really feel for school principals who have to deal with so much nonsense coming from this Government.”

I could not agree more. Who said that? Why it was Act’s education spokesperson in 2021. I wonder why they took that off their website?

Here is a template for you to send an email in support of teachers and principals who are putting their communities ahead of the political aspirations of David Seymour. Act supporters have encouraged a Red Scare style freak out, telling people to report teachers to the Teachers Council if they have any opinion that differs from their party line. Please consider sending a message of support and sharing it. If your child attends a school that put out a statement of support for students attending the hīkoi - please consider sending them a note saying thank you.