Green Party MP Benjamin Doyle has faced significant backlash, including death threats and abuse, following the exposure of their private Instagram account, “BibleBeltBussy.”
One particular post from October 2023, prior to Doyle’s tenure as an MP, featured a photo of Doyle with a child, captioned “bussy galore.”
Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters has publicly questioned the appropriateness of Doyle’s social media activity, stating that there are “many questions that the Green Party and Doyle need to answer as elected representatives including the appropriateness of his posts, his language, including what ‘Bussy’ and ‘Bussy Galore’ mean.”
In response, Green Party co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick emphasized that members of minority communities often reclaim and use language in ways that may not be well understood by external groups, often with irreverence and absurdity. She highlighted that the controversy stems from the misinterpretation of such language by those outside the community.
The situation has escalated to the point where Doyle will not be present in Parliament this week due to safety concerns. The Green Party is collaborating with Parliamentary security to ensure the well-being of Doyle and their whānau.
