Mayoral contest website antics: Efeso Collins and Craig Lord online address links to adversary Leo Molloy

Auckland mayoral candidate Leo Molloy is at the centre of a new scandal involving a political adversary. Photo / Greg Bowker

Website addresses carrying the name Efeso Collins and Craig Lord are linking directly to Auckland mayoralty rival Leo Molloy.

The Efesocollins.co.nz address, and the Craiglord.co.nz address sends users to Leo Molloy's official website, Leomolloy.co.nz.

The official online campaign address for Collins' mayoral bid can be found on www.efeso.nz.

A complaint over the Collins page has been lodged with Auckland Council, which is now looking into the matter.

Today Molloy said he didn't have a clue that the link existed nor who was behind it.

"I'm not aware of this. I'm normally the subject of dark arts, not the giver of dark arts. I had no idea," Molloy said.

He said he would be amazed if any of his team was responsible for this diversion as it was not the sort of behaviour that he would approve of.

"It's political chicanery and if anything else I'm a straight shooter. I'm not at all deceptive," Molloy said.

"It's a splendid bit of fun but you can be absolutely assured it has nothing to do with our official campaign."

He also said he would try to find out who was behind it and tell them to "stop doing these sort of naughty things".

Auckland Mayoral Candidate Efeso Coillins. Photo / Greg Bowker

A spokesperson for Collins' campaign team said in a statement that it was "disappointing to see people resort to this petty style of politics".

"Yes, we were aware of this but it makes no difference to our campaign, which is focused on climate action, easing traffic congestion and our cost of living crisis, rather than that old style of underhanded politics."

Lord said he had been aware of the URL which redirected to Molloy's page "for ages" and that he is unsure who is directly behind the account.

Meanwhile, Josiah Tualamali'i today wrote to Auckland Council and the Electoral Commission asking that they investigate the issue, saying it was highly concerning that a candidate or their team were using a domain name to market their own campaign.

He asked the matter was looked at urgently, saying in his view the actions were against the spirit of campaigning.

"As a kaimahi who works in the Pacific peoples, and young people's participation in democracy actions which attempt to make free and fair participation in elections foggy for communities, including mine, which we know at times struggle to participate in democratic processes, [this] must have swift and severe penalties."

Auckland Council's elections team responded online that it would be investigating the issue.

It comes hard on the heels of Molloy's now infamous interview with comedian Guy Williams where the mayoral contender let loose in an expletive-ridden interview, hitting out at people he deemed "woke" and claiming Auckland had been hampered by a succession of "soft ..." mayors.

The TV host said his interview with Molloy was funny, bizarre and the restaurateur's response was "very angry".

The interview created a storm on social media with people calling out Williams for giving Molloy a 15-minute platform at the expense of other candidates.

Molloy "won" verbal and physical clashes on the show; the latter being squaring off with over-sized gloves in a boxing ring outside the potential future mayor of Auckland's old waterfront bar.

Another mayoral candidate vying for the centre-right vote, Wayne Brown, said the "disgusting" topics raised by his political rival in his television appearance signalled to voters he had no judgment and was ill-equipped to be Auckland's next mayor.