New Zealand Opposition Leader Chris Hipkins has admitted that a social media account posting homophobic and other objectionable memes lampooning PM Christopher Luxon is run by his former staffer - raising serious questions about Labour's social media strategy and Hipkins' oversight.
Mate, opposition leader caught with his pants down. His ex-staffer is running a meme account posting homophobic content about the PM, and Hipkins knew. In an election year, this is amateur hour.
The New Zealand Herald reports that the account has been posting memes mocking Christopher Luxon, including content that uses homophobic stereotypes and other offensive material.
When confronted, Hipkins admitted he was aware of the account and acknowledged the staffer's involvement. He claimed the staffer no longer works for him and that he doesn't control what former staff do. But the timeline raises questions: when did Hipkins know? Did he approve this strategy?
The account in question has been active for months, gaining a following among left-leaning New Zealanders frustrated with the coalition government. Its memes go viral regularly, mocking Luxon's background as a former airline CEO, his wealth, and his policy positions.
Some of the content is standard political satire - fair game in a democracy. But some crosses lines, using homophobic tropes, personal attacks, and content that Labour would never officially endorse but apparently is happy to benefit from when posted by "former staffers."
This is the dark art of modern politics: official accounts stay clean and professional, while "independent" accounts run by people closely connected to the party do the dirty work. It gives politicians plausible deniability - "we don't control what private citizens post" - while reaping the benefits when those posts go viral.
But Hipkins got caught. His admission that he knew about the account destroys the plausible deniability. If the Labour leader knew a former staffer was posting this content and didn't distance himself or speak out, he was effectively endorsing it.
The homophobic content is particularly problematic. Labour positions itself as the party of inclusion and LGBTQ+ rights. Hipkins himself has spoken about the importance of respect in political discourse. Yet his former staffer - someone he admits knowing about - is posting homophobic memes, and Hipkins said nothing until caught.
National is having a field day. They're framing this as proof that Labour's claims to civility and inclusivity are hollow - that behind closed doors, they're happy to use the same divisive tactics they publicly condemn.
Luxon called the content "disgusting" and demanded Hipkins denounce it clearly. So far, Hipkins has offered a half-apology, saying he doesn't endorse offensive content but stopping short of condemning his former staffer or the account.
The political calculation is obvious: Labour doesn't want to lose the viral reach that account provides. Even if some content crosses lines, it's reaching young voters and keeping the base energized. Shutting it down or strongly condemning it would upset those supporters.
But the cost is credibility. How can Labour claim the moral high ground on inclusivity while tacitly approving homophobic attacks on political opponents?
One commenter on the Herald story nailed it: "So Labour is fine with homophobia as long as it's directed at National politicians? Good to know where they actually stand."
This also reveals how desperate Labour is. They're in opposition, they're not gaining ground in polls, and they're looking for any edge they can get. If that means tolerating a former staffer running a meme account that occasionally posts offensive content, apparently that's acceptable.
For Hipkins personally, this is damaging. He's been trying to position himself as a sensible, decent alternative to Luxon - someone who can bring New Zealanders together rather than divide them. This undermines that entirely.
Political staffers running social media accounts is normal. Former staffers continuing to support their party on social media is normal. But when those accounts post homophobic content and the party leader admits he knew about it but didn't act, that's not normal - that's a scandal.
Hipkins needs to clearly condemn the content, distance himself from the account, and explain what he knew and when. His half-apology isn't cutting it. If Labour wants to claim they're better than the coalition government, they need to actually be better - not just better at hiding their dirty tactics.
With an election looming, this is the kind of self-inflicted wound Labour can't afford. They should be hammering the government on cost of living, climate policy, and healthcare. Instead, they're explaining why their leader was fine with a former staffer posting homophobic memes about the PM.
Amateur hour, indeed.
