Face of the Day

Former Wellington Mayor Tory Whanau says sustained racist, misogynistic and sexualised abuse during her time in office ultimately drove her from politics – and out of New Zealand.

In evidence to the Waitangi Tribunal this morning, Whanau described years of online harassment, sexualised rumours, heightened media scrutiny and political attacks.

She said taken together they created “an environment that enables sustained harm, particularly for wāhine Māori. The purpose and effect of this behaviour was dehumanisation.

“It attempted to reduce a sitting mayor to racist caricatures rather than engage with policy, governance, or leadership.”

Whanau’s evidence was to the Tribunal’s Mana Wāhine inquiry into issues affecting Māori women, including whether the Crown’s systems and institutions failed to protect and support Māori women in leadership, governance and public life.

Whanau’s evidence comes days after TVNZ political editor Maiki Sherman resigned, saying she had faced an “unprecedented ... level of scrutiny” creating “enormous pressure”. Sherman was the first wahine Māori appointed as the political editor of a mainstream broadcast newsroom.

NZ Herald