Summarised by Centrist
Christopher Luxon has defended photographs showing himself and National minister Tama Potaka alongside gang members, arguing they cannot be compared with opposition politicians campaigning at gang-linked gatherings.
Labour leader Chris Hipkins accuses National of applying a double standard after repeatedly criticising Labour, Green and Te Pāti Māori politicians for their gang associations.
A photograph emerged showing Luxon alongside Black Power members at Parliament during the Crown's apology to survivors of abuse in state care.
Another showed Māori Development Minister Tama Potaka posing with patched Mongrel Mob members at a January 2024 hui organised by the Kīngitanga.
Potaka said one of those photographed was a former schoolmate who requested a picture.
“There were literally thousands of people there,” he told RNZ, adding that the encounter occurred before the Government's gang patch ban.
Luxon rejected comparisons with former Labour candidate Kerrin Leoni, who resigned after footage showed her wearing Labour campaign clothing and encouraging people to vote at a Mongrel Mob-linked gathering reportedly associated with fundraising.
“He's not campaigning, he's not fundraising,” Luxon said of Potaka.
Addressing his own photograph, Luxon said politicians could encounter gang members while carrying out official duties.
“Do not conflate,” he warned, arguing that engaging with people in a public role did not amount to soliciting gang votes.
Police Minister Mark Mitchell similarly distinguished between being approached for photographs at public events and attending gang-related campaign gatherings.
Hipkins called National's response hypocritical, saying its MPs should be held to the same standards demanded of political opponents.
Read more at RNZ here and here
Re-published from the Centrist with permission
