OPINION: The Hound reckons Groundswell needs to be careful to avoid fights it doesn't need to be part of.
Already the highly successful rural ginger group has been labelled by some sector leaders, government ministers and their sympathisers in the commentariat as a bunch of entitled, redneck, right-wing aligned agitators in an effort to discredit it.
So, the recent 'statement of support' of the anti-mandate protestors at Parliament by Groundswell was probably not the smartest move.
It will only give its critcs more ammunition to fire false labels at the group and its supporters.
As it said in its statement, Groundswell's main focus should be on the "unworkable regulations impacting the rural sector".
Many would agree that Speaker Trevor Mallard's turning the sprinklers on protestors make him come across as a complete 'duckwit', but that was no reason for Groundswell to make any comment about the protest.