Roaring crowd greets Dotcom roadshow

Kim Dotcom drew a full house when he arrived in Tauranga for the Internet Mana Party roadshow yesterday. Photo / George Novak

Internet Mana Party backer Kim Dotcom drew a crowd of about 150 when the party's roadshow arrived in Tauranga yesterday.

An eclectic crowd filled the Greerton Community Hall to hear from Mr Dotcom and the leaders and candidates of the Internet and Mana groupings.

Kids ran around while everyone from teenagers to retirees listened and applauded the speakers, who danced on to the stage like rock stars.

Mr Dotcom easily received the biggest roar from the crowd as he walked on to the stage as Eye of the Tiger blared.

He spent much of his speech defending himself against the accusations that have led to the US attempting to extradite him and thanked Kiwis for their support. "They made me responsible for the crime of my users," he told the crowd. "I started this party as my thank you to New Zealanders."

The party's most important policy was to make tertiary education free for all New Zealanders and wipe the existing student loan debt held by Kiwis.

"What we are doing right now is the most damaging thing to our future and our economy."

The internet mogul said huge student loans were forcing the brightest young people to look for higher-paying overseas jobs. Step two was to improve internet access around the country, Mr Dotcom said.

Mr Dotcom's bodyguards refused to let the Bay of Plenty Times speak to him before he left. Earlier, Internet Party leader Laila Harre promised the party would work towards full employment, re-introduce free tertiary education, remove the parental income test and instead offer universal student allowances, create summer jobs for students, invest in cheap universal internet, set up a royal commission of inquiry into illegal spying, and stop the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement.

Also present were Hone Harawira, John Minto, Waiariki Mana candidate Annette Sykes and East Coast Internet Party candidate Patrick Salmon.