Matua Kahurangi
Just a bloke sharing thoughts on New Zealand and the world beyond. No fluff, just honest takes.
After a conversation with Penny Marie from Let Kids Be Kids, the name Benjamin “Bussy” Doyle came up once again. I found myself praising Penny for her quick work in capturing screen recordings from Doyle’s official Instagram account, no small feat considering he has it completely locked down.
Penny Marie
This led me to a bigger question: Why do we have a Member of Parliament whose official social media accounts are private, yet still promoted through the Green Party’s own website?
If you visit Benjamin Doyle's profile on the Greens’ official website (greens.org.nz/benjamin_doyle), you’ll find two social media links:
What’s troubling is that both accounts are locked down and inaccessible to the public.
While Doyle’s Facebook page offers little to see, his Instagram account is more revealing, at least through the bio, which reads:
"Green Party list MP 💚 Kirikiriroa
Ngāpuhi, Te Kapotai, Te Popoto, Pākehā
Mana takatāpui 💅🏻 Free 🇵🇸🇨🇩🇳🇨🇸🇩
Auth: M Ross, L5/108 The Terrace, WLG"
The authorisation line (“Auth: M Ross, L5/108 The Terrace, WLG”) indicates this is not just a personal account. It is an official political page endorsed under New Zealand’s electoral advertising laws. This suggests that his Instagram account is intended for public political communication. So why is it hidden from the very people funding his salary?
Now, I could understand if Doyle chose to restrict comments to avoid spam or trolling. Political social media can quickly turn into a battleground and managing that kind of engagement can be a full-time job – especially if you’re into posting pedophile emojis and captioning photos of children as ‘Bussy Galore’ or boy pussy to put it blunt. However, the decision to make the entire account private raises deeper concerns about transparency and accountability.
What exactly is being shielded from public view? If an MP’s official communications channels are closed off, it undermines public trust and the principle that elected representatives should be visible and accessible to their constituents.
Another important point: I’m no expert in Official Information Act (OIA) requests, but considering the clear authorisation noted in his Instagram bio, it raises the question: Could this account, despite being private, be subject to OIA scrutiny?
If it is, then New Zealanders have every right to ask: What is going on behind those locked profiles?
This article was originally published on the author’s Substack.
