NZ First Candidate Faces Backlash Over Sexist Remarks

Controversy Over Candidate Remarks

Michael Laws, a candidate for NZ First and a sitting Otago regional councillor running in the Waitaki electorate, has sparked significant controversy following a series of derogatory comments directed at women from the Opportunity party. During a broadcast clip published on 29 October, Laws launched a verbal attack against Kayla Kingdon-Bebb, the fourth-ranked candidate for Opportunity, after the two had shared a stage at a Wao summit election debate. The remarks have caused widespread disgust from across the political spectrum, drawing attention to the nature of the discourse used by the 69-year-old councillor during the current election cycle.

Laws targeted Kingdon-Bebb’s appearance and demeanor, describing her as severe-looking and comparing her to every officious female primary school teacher he had encountered in his life. The remarks escalated when Laws made a sexual jibe, questioning what it would be like to date someone with her personality and specifically asking, “Can you imagine what it’s like post-sex?” He followed this by commenting on her choice of clothing, specifically noting that her black dress extended down to her calves, and remarked on how little makeup she wore. These comments were viewed by many as an inappropriate focus on a candidate’s physical appearance rather than her political platform.

Attacks On Party Leadership

The verbal assault extended to the leader of the Opportunity party, Qiulae Wong. Laws accused Wong of possessing a stern and disapproving manner, which he characterized as an “I-know-better-than-you” attitude. He claimed that Wong had suggested in a clipped, primary school fashion that Opportunity could collaborate with NZ First if the latter abandoned rhetoric she viewed as dangerous and divisive. Laws argued that this suggestion revealed the “authoritarian fascist that always lurks within the typical metropolitan liberal,” a trait he claimed was exemplified by the women who dominated the Opportunity party.

Laws further characterized the members of the party as entitled princesses from leafy suburbs who attended private schools and instantly disapproved of the “little oinks everywhere.” He concluded his remarks by suggesting that an Opportunity presence in Parliament would mean that the “infant mistress will be back.” These descriptions were seen as an attempt to marginalize the candidates based on perceived social class and gender roles rather than engaging in a substantive political debate about the party’s policies or goals.

Political Response And Condemnation

The comments have drawn sharp criticism from across the political spectrum. Kayla Kingdon-Bebb described the remarks as creepy and misogynist, stating that it was unsettling for a candidate to pontificate about the length of her dress. She noted that many female candidates already face violent and sexist remarks on social media, and she argued that Laws was feeding that toxic culture. In response to the incident, she questioned whether the country really needs Laws back in Parliament, highlighting the impact of such rhetoric on women in public life.

Qiulae Wong also responded to the “gross” and “nasty” jibes, while Greens co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick labeled the comments as nonsense. Swarbrick suggested that the current campaign has been chequered by a bunch of petty and personal attacks from the right, urging those who are sick of this kind of politics to “put it in the bin by voting.” This sentiment reflects a broader frustration with the personal nature of the attacks seen throughout the campaign.

National deputy leader Nicola Willis also condemned the jibes, describing them as being from another era and suggesting that Laws should go back to “Noah and the Ark.” Willis explicitly stated that her party does not stand for sexism. When asked if she would be comfortable sitting at a Cabinet table with Laws, she noted that such a decision would ultimately rest with the prime minister and the leader of NZ First, Winston Peters. The unified reaction from these diverse political figures underscores a collective rejection of gender-based attacks in the pursuit of political office.