Chlöe Swarbrick faced questions about the Green Party’s vetting process and Doyle’s judgement.
The incident highlights growing culture wars in politics, with Winston Peters criticising the Greens.
The case of Benjamin Doyle is more sickening than curious and provides plenty of lessons for all.
Having been the centre of attention and innuendo for the past 24 hours, the Greens’ newest MP must know by now that there is no such thing asa private Instagram account or any social media account.
You are an MP all of the time, including the time before you became an MP.
Doyle must also know by now that using vulgar and sexually explicit words, such as bussy, in association with photos of children - your own children or otherwise - can be construed in ways never intended.
Those cowardly keyboard warriors who spend their time jumping to conclusions - and hammering the mainstream media for not jumping to the same conclusions - know that not every photo of a queer person kissing a child is something to be alarmed about.
They should know that queer people have children too.
Those keyboard warriors should know that just because mainstream news outlets have not published a story, it does not mean that they have not asked questions or been working on it.
It may be that questions were asked, and answers were given.
It may well be that a story is of such importance and sensitivity that it is being considered by the lawyers.
Sometimes decisions not to cover stories are made not to protect the subject of the story or to protect a political party but because of journalistic ethics.
Green Party co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick must surely know that MPs cannot use any words with impunity, even if they have been co-opted by the queer community or another minority group with irreverence and absurdity.
Swarbrick must know by now that what Doyle thought was acceptable is not a view necessarily shared by the rainbow community.
She just needed to hear the various positions taken by a couple of journalists in her press conference yesterday: one suggested that Doyle was a victim who had been subject to dirty tricks by other parties and another challenged Swarbrick on her implication that Doyle’s out-there language is widely accepted by the queer community.
Green Party co-leaders Chlöe Swarbrick (left), and Marama Davidson (right) at a press conference to discuss Benjamin Doyle. Photo / Mark Mitchell
Swarbrick should know that her failure to express anything but complete support for her MP suggests she thinks Doyle’s judgment is okay.
She must surely know that her party’s vetting processes have failed, that every candidate for the party should have all their social media scrutinised for potential landmines.
Peters and his fellow keyboard warriors should know by now that speculating aloud can have a huge impact on the more deranged members of society, resulting in death threats.
The voting public will know by now that the culture wars that are tearing the United States apart, that were fuelled during the Covid lockdown, are a growing part of parliamentary politics.
Winston Peters is leading it but the Greens are giving him all the ammunition he wants, from new MPs heckling him as the NZ Trump, the anti-police default position of Tamatha Paul or the dubious judgment of Doyle.
Peters has even taken to calling them Marxists in the House – and they have never objected.
The voting public will certainly know that the Green Party of James Shaw is a distant memory. It used to be a party that could appeal equally to the hippies in the Aro Valley and the housewives of Remuera.
Now it is hard to know who they want to appeal to.
