Craig Young laments on the campaign against Benjamin Doyle.
Stuff NZ has uncovered the identity of the individual fuelling online attacks against Green MP Benjamin Doyle: Rhys Williams, a businessman and former member of New Zealand First.
Importantly, I emphasise the word former. Despite Winston Peters giving initial weight to Williams’ social media claims and calling for an investigation into the smear campaign targeting Doyle, he is now moving to create distance between himself and Williams. This is in spite of Williams’ prior role as a party activist.
Williams operates primarily via the social media handle @2ESTEKA, a platform rife with calls for further attacks on Doyle, misogynistic commentary directed at women politicians and journalists, and even jabs at National Cabinet ministers Chris Bishop and Matt Doocey.
It would be worthwhile questioning Brian Tamaki and Bob McCoskrie about their own affiliations with Williams. Stuff previously revealed that Williams financially supported the Wellington-based Inflection Point gathering, a controversial anti-transgender event. In photos from the event, Williams is seen standing beside Tamaki.
Despite the @2ESTEKA platform’s vocal support of New Zealand First, the party president, Julian Paul, has confirmed that Williams is no longer a member. Paul added that NZ First cannot be held accountable for the actions of its “supporters.” Nevertheless, several NZ First MPs and party activists appear among the platform’s followers. While this may suggest simple curiosity rather than endorsement, it remains notable.
Legal experts Steven Price and Graeme Edgeler have indicated that some content from Williams’ platform may cross the line into defamation and false allegations.
Above all, the personal safety of Benjamin Doyle must take precedence. But it is no longer enough for conservative voices to retreat behind blanket defences of “free speech.” Contributions to Williams’ platform may have breached the bounds of lawful discourse.
As noted by a contributor to the Stuff investigation, the Harmful Digital Communications Act must be revisited and applied more rigorously to combat toxic online behaviour. Prime Minister Chris Luxon also has a responsibility here — to demand stronger accountability from Winston Peters and make it unequivocally clear that such murky associations will no longer be tolerated within the governing coalition.
