The married couple standing for election espousing anti-vax rhetoric and dangerous conspiracy theories – Stuff

He says he wore goggles and a hazmat suit, emblazoned with a swastika and penis to visit the supermarket. His wife posted it on Facebook. Now they are both running for local council positions in Gisborne.

Read this story in te reo Māori and English here / Pānuitia tēnei i te reo Māori me te reo Pākehā ki konei.

Darin Brown is a 5G conspiracy theorist who wants to be the East Coast city’s next mayor.

The inaccurate and dangerous claims that mobile phone signals either transmit Covid-19 or reduce our defences to it have been comprehensively debunked by scientists who say it is biologically impossible.

His wife Jen Brown is a local co-ordinator for Voices for Freedom, the anti-vaccination group that has vowed to make New Zealand ungovernable by infiltrating decision-making bodies.

Jen Brown participated in the summer occupation of Parliament’s grounds, which ended in arson and violence, and frequently posts disinformation on her social media profiles.

They are among five Gisborne District Council candidates Stuff has identified that either share harmful disinformation and conspiracy theories, or participate in fringe movements that undermine public health measures.

In one now deleted post, Darin Brown is seen wearing a hazmat suit with slogans about dictatorship, freedom and control. The outfit also features a crudely-drawn penis.

The photos were uploaded by Jen Brown, with the comment: “This is how you go to the supermarket.” In another post, from 2020, he threatens to cut down cellphone towers.

Darin Brown is also standing in the Tairāwhiti Māori Ward. He declined to talk to Stuff.

Jen Brown is a former Advance NZ general election candidate. It was a short-lived vehicle started by Billy Te Kahika, currently in court charged with intentionally failing to comply with the Covid-19 Public Health Response Act by organising and attending an outdoor gathering, and ex-MP Jami-Lee Ross, now on trial over allegedly fraudulent donations.

During February’s occupation at Parliament, the former teacher posed alongside Sue Grey, a key figure in the anti-vax movement, and later described the protest as “a war zone”.

Jen Brown posts frequently to social media, often sharing Covid-19 misinformation, items from far-right conspiracy show Counterspin Media and conspiracies about a ‘new world’ order, the United Nations and World Economic Forum.

In response to questions, she said she and her husband are “members of VFF and proud to be so”. She also supports Groundswell, the farmer-led group behind last year’s Howl of a Protest.

Brown didn’t answer further questions about the hazmat suit, or her sharing of misinformation.

Peter Jones is an anti-vaxxer. He runs two Facebook pages, both of which are littered with disinformation and material spreading conspiracy theories.

Jones says he is not a member of VFF. However, his personal Facebook page is regularly tagged in posts by its organisers, including Jen Brown and founder Claire Deeks.

In an interview with Stuff, he confirmed he is unvaccinated, believes Covid is a hoax, and said his partner lost her job as a hospital theatre assistant for refusing the vaccine. He hung up when asked why he shared misinformation.

Also standing is Leighton Packer, a Destiny Church pastor, who organises “freedom protests” for Brian Tamaki’s anti-mandate Freedom and Rights Coalition.

Ahead of Tuesday’s protest at Parliament, where Tamaki and his supporters staged a “mock trial”, Packer posted pictures of a convoy leaving Gisborne for Wellington.

Packer, who runs ASET, a community charity with her husband Ernest, has also shared posts accusing the Government of “tyranny” and “fascism”.

She did not respond to a request for interview.