August 2014 INVSOC Potluck

We invited Invercargill’s 2014 New Zealand election candidates to our vegan potluck :-)  Sarah Dowie (National), Dave Kennedy (Green Party), Stephnie de Ruyter (Democrats for Social Credit) and Leslie Soper (Labour) each gave speeches about their love of animals.

New Zealand First candidate Ria Bond couldn’t attend on the night, but sent in a video.  We also met Internet Party founder Kim Dotcom!  The Southland Times and CUE TV covered our attempt to bribe politicians :-)

 

CouscousTabbouleh, Raspberry Passionfruit cheesecake (recipe), Hell Pizza’s “Sinister”, kofta vegetable balls (recipe)

The candidates were eager to show their vegan recipes to The Southland Times (“Pets give Invercargill candidates common link”)

 

We started the evening with candidate speeches.  About policy, capital gains taxes or home insulation schemes?  Nope, we asked each candidate to share their favourite animal anecdotes!   We found a National candidate who rescued a cat while on holiday and a Democrat who prefers short animals.  A Green vegetarian of 30 years and Labour’s elephant helper!

Full speeches:

CUE TV kindly broadcast an abridged version to the televisions of Southland :-)

Ria Bond, the NZ First candidate for Invercargill was unable to attend our potluck.  But she was keen to share her respect for animals, and her vegan cousin :-)

Twas the night before potluck, when we met Kim Dotcom of “The Internet Party”.  The Internet-Mana candidates were heading to Dunedin, but we quickly shot a shaky video!   There were two vegetarian members of the Internet Party present, and we thanked the microphone holder for her Sea Shepherd hoodie :-)

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Kim told us “you smell GREAT?”  We first joked it was our natural “eau de Vegan” body stink, but later told him about cooking with pungent herb Fenugreek.

 

Phew, with all that political lobbying, it was time for a vegan potluck :-)

“Sarah’s bringing on summer salad”!  We spoke with National candidate Sarah Dowie about the wonders of ETA salad dressings.  Several of the “lite” varieties are vegan :-)

Coconut and Caramel Custard

    

Thank you everyone for a fantastic potluck!

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