Wins For Freedom, Fuel For 2025!
As Christmas approaches, we want to celebrate another remarkable year of wins, thanks to the courage, dedication, and passion of our Voices for Freedom community. Together, we’ve created ripples of change that are impossible to ignore, proving once again that persistence and collective action can make a difference.
Grab a beverage, find a comfy spot, and let’s look back at some of what we accomplished together in 2024…
The People’s Terms Petition & Covid Inquiry
One of our proudest moments this year was delivering a petition signed by over 34,000 Kiwis to Parliament. This powerful collective action forced the government to expand Phase Two of the Covid Inquiry to include critical topics such as vaccine safety and harm.
Bold Advocacy: Full-page ads in The Herald and Stuff challenged the previous government’s Covid policies and encouraged Kiwis to share their stories. Our final hard-hitting ad featured a man clutching his chest in cardiac distress, highlighting the reality of serious vaccine injuries. The fact the papers ran this ad marked a significant change in corporate media gatekeeping.
Engaging with Commissioners: Claire, Katie, and I met twice with Phase One Commissioners and their team, ensuring that the voices of those excluded by the mandates were finally heard. Chief Commissioner Professor Tony Blakely described our meetings as “incredibly illuminating,” a testament to the value of your stories and the power of the truth.
This achievement demonstrates the power of sustained public pressure. Together, we’ve shown that even when the odds seem stacked against us, truth and perseverance can lead to real change.
Standing Strong for Financial Freedom
This year, our Keep Cash Alive campaign made an extraordinary impact, defending the freedom to use physical cash and pushing back against Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDCs).
Record-Breaking Submissions: With your help, the Reserve Bank of New Zealand (RBNZ) was overwhelmed by a historic number of submissions, forcing them to rethink their Digital Cash proposal.
- 90% of respondents rejected the idea of financial surveillance through CBDCs.
- 84% demanded assurances that physical cash would remain available and protected.
- The RBNZ publicly acknowledged the need for more work on the costs, risks, and benefits of CBDCs, delaying any potential rollout.
Powerful Education Campaign: Through RCR, we released a 10-part docuseries featuring global financial experts and commentators like G. Edward Griffin, Catherine Austin Fitts, James Corbett, and more. This series educated Kiwis on the risks of CBDCs and equipped them to take informed action. Listen to the series here.
Media Recognition: Our campaigns were so impactful that media outlets like Newsroom credited VFF and RCR for driving the unprecedented response. Even Dr. Sanjana Hattotuwa (former Research Director of the now toast Disinformation Project) acknowledged our influence, though not without his usual melodrama, complaining about “alarmist language” and “red siren emojis.” Perhaps Sanjana should stock up on extra soap for 2025—he’s admitted needing multiple showers daily to cope with “disinformation” like ours!
Thanks to your efforts, we’ve sent a clear message: Kiwis will not accept financial control disguised as convenience. The fight isn’t over, but we’ve made significant headway, and together, we’ll continue to defend our financial freedoms in 2025!
The ‘Safer Online Services and Media Platforms’ Backdown
In a major win for free speech, May 2024 saw the Department of Internal Affairs (DIA) abandon its proposals to regulate online speech further. The proposed framework would have effectively introduced “hate speech” laws for the internet and press, empowering an unelected, unaccountable regulator to:
- Fine social media platforms and internet-based content providers for “harmful” content.
- Impose mandatory codes of practice on media firms, replacing self-regulatory systems like the Media Council and Broadcasting Standards Authority.
Last year, VFF, led by our Head of Legal Katie Ashby-Koppens, provided templates for submitting feedback to the DIA. Your incredible response resulted in:
- Almost 19,000 submissions (from VFF and Free Speech Union combined) calling out the risks of such overreach.
- Voices for Freedom being explicitly named in the DIA’s Summary of Submissions report as a leading influence behind the overwhelming feedback.
This backdown is yet another powerful example of public pressure in action. Thank you to everyone who took the time to speak up on this critical issue! Together, we’ve proven that freedom of speech and self-regulation remain worth defending—and we’re ready to do it again if necessary.
The Therapeutic Products Act – Repealed!
After years of tireless advocacy and education, we finally saw the repeal of the Therapeutic Products Act just ten days ago! —a significant victory for informed choice and health freedom.
- Much of our action in this space occurred in 2023, with education sessions, webinars, interviews on RCR, and templates enabling thousands to submit formal feedback to the government.
- This month’s announcement was a testament to the power of sustained effort and a united community.
Standing Up Against Water Fluoridation
In 2024, communities across NZ pushed back against fluoridation directives, and the momentum is building:
- Documentary maker and RCR host Alistair Harding released the superb documentary Fluoride on the Brain at the start of the year. This powerful film exposed the risks associated with fluoridation and provided a compelling case for change.
- RCR stayed on the topic with regular interviews featuring fluoride-free advocates, council members, mayors, and international experts. These discussions provided in-depth insights and armed our community with valuable information to push back effectively.
- International research highlighting IQ loss in children, coupled with a US court ruling that the risks outweighed the benefits, bolstered our arguments.
- Local councils are now reconsidering their compliance with the Director General of Health’s directive.
Expect to see even more movement in this space in 2025 as we continue to fight for clean water and informed choice!
Pushing Back Against the W.H.O.
This year, we stood strong against the World Health Organisation’s (W.H.O.) push to amend the International Health Regulations and introduce new Pandemic Treaties. These proposals threatened to hand even more control to unelected global bodies, undermining national sovereignty and individual freedoms.
Thanks to your support, we were able to tackle this issue head-on. RCR featured interviews with leading experts to expose what these amendments could mean for New Zealand. We also hosted a live event in Auckland that brought this critical issue into the spotlight. The W.H.O. & You event featured thought-provoking insights from Professor Ramesh Thakur (former UN Assistant Secretary General), Dr David Bell (former WHO medical officer), and our own Katie Ashby-Koppens.
The impact of our efforts has been significant. Growing international pressure has forced the W.H.O. to scale back some of its plans, showing that collective resistance works. While the fight isn’t over, we’ve made significant headway.
Watch this two-minute clip of Dr David Bell explaining why we should be concerned about a WHO Pandemic Treaty.
Looking Ahead to 2025
Next year, we’ll build on this momentum with campaigns to address key legislation and policies. To kick things off, here’s what’s on the horizon:
- Treaty Principles Bill – Feedback due 7 January
- Puberty Blockers Review – Feedback due 20 January
- Gene Technology Bill – Feedback due 17 February
- Biometrics Code – Feedback due 14 March
We’re ramping up our pressure campaigns, and your voice will be essential in driving change. Stay tuned for updates on how you can get involved!
From all of us at VFF, we wish you and your loved ones a Merry Christmas filled with joy, hope, and freedom. Together, we’ve achieved so much this year, and we can’t wait to see what 2025 will bring.
Merry Christmas!
Alia x
Co-Founder Voices for Freedom & Reality Check Radio
P.S. Let’s keep this momentum going. Watch for more updates in January, and together, we’ll make 2025 another year to remember!
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If you value what we are up to at Voices and would like to support our ongoing work you can donate to us and support our nationwide public education campaigns (webinars, flyers, billboards...) and other initiatives to speak up and push back for your freedoms.
