‘Great Electric Cherry Migration’ rolls into Parliament

Renewable energy advocacy group Rewiring Aotearoa has taken its electrification message to Parliament in a colourful stunt dubbed the “Great Electric Cherry Migration”.

The group delivered cherries to MPs at Parliament grounds on Monday, arriving in an electric Deepway truck and drawing attention from politicians and passersby alike.

In a social media post, Rewiring Aotearoa says the event aimed to spark conversations about electrification and clean technology.

“The Great Electric Cherry Migration is complete! The cherries have been delivered to all our MPs, we had an amazing turn out at Parliament grounds, and we got to experience Wellington on a good day,” Rewiring Aotearoa says.

“We had a minister sitting in the cab of the electric Deepway and honking the horn, MPs from all parties chatting cherries and electric opportunities with Rewiring Aotearoa CEO Mike Casey, and plenty of random passersby craning their necks and wondering what the hell was going on as they were being offered free electric cherries.”

The group says it spoke with more than 30 MPs during the day, discussing the role of electrification in reducing energy costs and emissions.

Speaker of the House Gerry Brownlee and Deputy Speaker Barbara Kuriger were among those engaging with the event.

The group also joked about its longer-term ambitions.

“Our dastardly plan to create a cherry orchard on the grounds of Parliament has also been successful, because there was a whole lot of pip-spitting going on. We’ll be back to harvest in three years.”

Rewiring Aotearoa is a non-profit organisation advocating for the rapid electrification of the New Zealand economy.