Summarised by Centrist
Radio Hauraki asked new Act candidate Paul Henry to play a “quick game of shoot, shag, marry” using Labour leader Chris Hipkins, New Zealand First leader Winston Peters and Prime Minister Christopher Luxon as the three choices.
“You’ve got to shoot Hipkins, haven’t you?” Henry answered. “There is no question … You’ve got to shoot Hipkins. You’ve given me three choices, to be fair.”
Henry then chose Peters for the second option, leaving Luxon as the person he would marry.
Labour health spokeswoman Ayesha Verrall subsequently described Henry’s comments as “absolutely disgusting” while appearing on Newstalk ZB. She called the interaction an “inappropriate game” and repeatedly characterised Henry’s answer as a “death threat”.
Hipkins told the NZ Herald that Henry should know better when political leaders around the world were being shot and killed.
“New Zealanders expect leaders who take their responsibilities seriously, not treat politics like a circus audition,” Hipkins said.
National MP Tim Costley said he would not expect such comments from a National MP and left it to ACT leader David Seymour to decide whether Henry should face consequences. However, Costley also acknowledged that it was not a genuine threat.
“We all know it wasn’t a serious death threat. I think Ayesha’s deeper point is where do you draw the line,” he said.
Henry said he was “completely dumbfounded” by Labour’s response and described his answer as “plainly humour”. He said it was “absolutely ridiculous” to suggest there was anything genuinely violent in the exchange.
Seymour accused Labour of manufacturing outrage. He said Labour knew Henry did not intend to harm Hipkins, just as it did not believe he intended to have sex with Peters or marry Luxon.
Editor’s note: Radio Hauraki, Newstalk ZB and the NZ Herald are all NZME brands. Across those outlets, Radio Hauraki introduced the provocative premise, Newstalk ZB carried the political condemnation and the Herald reported the resulting controversy.
That does not establish that the coverage was coordinated. It does, however, mean NZME was not entirely detached from the controversy it reported. Its own radio programme had asked a parliamentary candidate which political leader he would shoot.
Henry could have refused to participate, particularly now that he is standing for Parliament. But the violent premise did not originate with him. Should media outlets introduce such language into political interviews and then present the predictable answer as a political scandal?
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