'Rent-a-crowd' misplaced

John Key has often used a cliche to describe any group of people who disagree with him or his government's policies, whatever the occasion. He calls them "rent-a-crowd".
Opponents of the TPP, for example, are rent-a-crowd. Campaigners against the May budget were rent-a-crowd.
Opponents of oil drilling in 2013 were also rent-a-crowd.
Activists who confronted My Key in 2010 in Mana were rent-a-crowd.

Apart from showing a serious lack of originality, I question Mr Key's grasp of semantics in continually labelling anti-government protesters rent-a-crowd.
These people are not paid by anyone to turn up and protest, and anyone who believes that they are has obvious conspiracy theory issues. People protest because they are passionately against something and (usually) have run out of less confrontational means to get their point across.

Even a cursory glance at the numbers against the TPP shows a staggering number of reputable, legitimate organisations and groups of people, all concerned about various aspects of the partnership. Many doctors, pharmacists and nurses, for example, are worried that extended times before generic drugs can be introduced are putting corporate profits first and public health second. They have other concerns too. These protesters are intelligent, informed people - hardly rent-a-crowd.

Let's look at the Government and its supporters, because they're backing the politics, not the content of the TPP. Opponents of this partnership are "greenies and lefties" who are against it because they don't like John Key. That's simplifying the matter so your basic National Party supporter understands. Government - good; opposed - bad. With everything so defined, it's easy for the party faithful to label everyone else whingers who can't recognise a good thing when they see it. But who has seen it?
Hands up all those who have read all 6000 pages of the TPP! Anyone? Mr Prime Minister?
The New Zealand Medical Association (NZMA) is repeating its call for an independent Health Impact Assessment of the TPP.
"Much of the discussion around the TPPA has been on its economic value for the country. While we accept there might be financial benefits for the country, the NZMA believes wider issues need to be considered, including affordable access to medicines, and public health policies especially around tobacco and alcohol control," says NZMA Chair Dr Stephen Child, obviously from rent-a-crowd.

When Steven Joyce was targeted at Waitangi, he laughed it off and was a good sport about it. The fact is he failed to see or understand the symbolism of the pink missile, even though the thrower explained its significance (caught by nearby microphones). She who launched the dildo was Christchurch nurse Josie Butler, who yelled: "That's for raping our sovereignty!" She was taken away by police but no charges were laid. What would the charge have been? Assault with a friendly weapon?

People with impressive qualifications are showing they are against the signing of the TPP. But the Government is not listening, nor even pretending to listen. The paperwork is no longer secret so the protests are now targeted and defined; there are parts of the agreement that will not benefit the people of this country, people that this Government supposedly represents, regardless of politics.

Because the Government is not listening, concerned citizens are using every opportunity they can to vent their frustration and try to get their point across - hence the protest at Waitangi. And if John Key is miffed that he was invited on to Waitangi but not allowed to speak, then imagine how we must feel. Besides, there must be one day of the year when he doesn't have to spout the party line to whomever will listen or has to listen just because they are there.

To sum up, the people who are protesting against the TPP, in any way they can, are doing it because they feel it is the right thing to do, not because they are getting paid to do it. To blanket label protesters is an old, worn-out cliche in itself, forgetting, of course, that protest has often changed the course of history and made social advances that would not have otherwise happened.

But to call them rent-a-crowd is ignoring the real meaning of the term. John Key and his Government are paid by the New Zealand public and when they all band together to promote something so many far more intelligent people are against - that's rent-a-crowd.

The US senators who took corporate money to fast track the TPP through congress - that's rent-a-crowd.

Business people who see the Government, any government, as a group of honest men and women doing only the best for fellow citizens - and believe promises of bigger profits if the deal goes ahead - that's rent-a-crowd.