Tova podcast: ACT and NZ First defend conspiratorial candidates

Tova O’Brien is Stuff’s Chief Political Correspondent and host of the political podcast, Tova.

ACT Party candidate Simon Angelo, who liked a string of homophobic, misogynistic and conspiratorial social media posts, could be given the boot from the party.

ACT Party leader David Seymour was asked on the Tova podcast if he would consider nixing Angelo from the party if he is a homophobe.

“Look clearly those values are inconsistent with the values in our party’s constitution, my personal values and those that we express, so would certainly consider it,” Seymour said.

But Seymour said liking the tweets in itself wasn’t enough to have Angelo booted from the party: “Frankly, while I find the sentiments in those tweets abominable, if we start saying that because someone liked something, didn’t even express it themselves – people can like things for a variety of reasons – I don’t believe that it’s a sacking offence, that’s just really, really disappointing and as I say, abominable content that was involved there.”

In The Post, Andrea Vance revealed that Angelo had liked social media posts which used offensive homophobic slurs targeting the LGBTQ+ community and rainbow MPs including one which called Green MP Chloe Swarbrick a “man-hating dyke”.

Seymour told Tova, Swarbrick is a quality human being, “she’s someone I’ve enjoyed a long relationship with, despite considerable philosophical differences, so I don’t agree with that sentiment.”

Pushed on why he then allows support of those sentiments from those within his party, Seymour said he doesn’t and defended Angelo, “I think your connection between liking a tweet and believing that and having that as a core belief is tenuous at best.”

Other posts liked by Angelo include one from far right activist Chantelle Baker, implying women are promiscuous only because they were abused, another adding his support to a message calling for a boycott of the Warehouse because they were donating to LGBTQ+ communities, and one which said teachers who teach about sexual orientation should not be teachers.

Angelo also expressed appreciation for post which referred to feminism as “a scam” and a growing online conspiracy about the Great Reset, a post-Covid economic recovery plan.

Seymour wasn’t the only MP defending questionable party candidates on Tova, NZ First’s deputy leader-apparent Shane Jones was asked about Kirsten Murfitt, number 11 on NZ First’s list.

Stuff’s Charlie Mitchell revealed that Murfitt, under the pseudonym Polly, once shared a post suggesting those who took the “death-shots” are “technically no longer ‘human’”. Another post suggested visiting a cemetery to verify whether “dead vaxxers” emit Bluetooth signals.

She also shared a video alleging the Covid-19 vaccines contain nanotechnology, connecting the vaccinated to a centralised 5G smart grid, turning them into “biological robots” branded with a scanable product code.

Asked if Murfitt is a good fit for NZ First, Jones replied, “Look, no politician in New Zealand has an uncluttered record of their former deliveries, I myself am living proof of that.”

“So information is imperfect. And there are a whole host of people in New Zealand, who rightfully or wrongfully feel there’s been a massive overreach by officialdom and the bureaucracy. They felt no one treated them seriously,” Jones told Tova.

Jones called it “colourful language and various hyperbole”.

When it was put to him another of her posts that said Jacinda Ardern is the most evil thing, “Cindy is at Waitangi, you know what to do,” Jones laughed it off and said, “she sounds like some of the crazy Maori sovereignty activists up there.”

“I really wouldn’t catastrophise half a dozen statements that are now all in the past.”

To hear the full interviews with David Seymour and Shane Jones listen to the Tova podcast here.