The New Zealand Green Party is defending its Māngere candidate Michel Mulipola after past social media posts emerged showing him ripping up the New Zealand flag, calling police "pigs," and creating artwork depicting politicians — including ACT leader David Seymour — in offensive ways.
Co-leader Marama Davidson defended Mulipola as "a strong, outspoken advocate" who has "spent a lot of time exposing racism, injustice, unfairness for the communities he represents," according to RNZ. She acknowledged the party has "a different approach" to language and conduct, though said as a candidate he would be "expected to meet different standards of behaviour."
Mate, there's defending your candidates, and then there's this. The Greens are essentially saying: yes, he ripped up the flag and called cops pigs, but that's advocacy. It's a bold strategy in an election year.
Davidson said she hadn't seen the flag-ripping video and stated it was "not an approach that the Green Party would take," though she added she personally feels "quite detached" from flag symbolism. That caveat — the personal distancing from national symbols — is unlikely to play well outside the Greens' core base.
Opposition parties pounced. ACT leader David Seymour, whose image appeared in some of Mulipola's more provocative artwork, accused the Greens of "encouraging a path towards political violence" by justifying behavior based on feeling disadvantaged. Labour's Chris Hipkins said he wouldn't condone such language from current politicians, though acknowledged people can change over time.
NZ First leader Winston Peters called the situation "a disgrace" and lamented the party's evolution from its founding principles — though coming from Peters, who's made a career of provocative political theater, that's rich.
The controversy puts the Greens in an awkward position. They're trying to expand their appeal beyond their traditional base, but defending a candidate who literally tore up the national flag on camera makes that harder. Mulipola is running in Māngere, a safe Labour seat, so his chances were always slim. But the symbolism of the Greens' defense matters: it signals what conduct the party considers acceptable, and what it's willing to overlook in the name of advocacy.
For voters already skeptical of the Greens, this confirms every stereotype. For the party faithful, it's standing up for activists who speak uncomfortable truths. Where you land probably depends on where you already stood on the Greens.
