Auckland (The NZ Today)
Green Party co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick has accused National of effectively “cyber-bullying” her during the final stretch of the election campaign, saying the party’s attacks have become increasingly personal.
Swarbrick said National had repeatedly portrayed her as a central threat in a potential Labour-Green government, including claims she could become finance minister if the current Government loses office.
An RNZ count found 37 of National’s 94 Instagram posts over the previous six days featured either the Greens or Swarbrick, highlighting how heavily the party’s campaign messaging has focused on her.
Speaking to RNZ’s Morning Report, Swarbrick described the situation as “bizarre” and said she was being targeted by some of the most powerful political figures in the country.
She argued National had moved beyond debating policy and was instead trying to cast her as a political “bogeyman”.
Swarbrick said she had no objection to being challenged on her ambition to become finance minister and had already called for a direct debate with National finance spokesperson Nicola Willis.
Her criticism was aimed, she said, at the tone and scale of the campaign rather than scrutiny itself.
National leader Christopher Luxon rejected the accusation.
He said National was highlighting the Greens’ own policy positions and public comments rather than personally targeting Swarbrick.
Luxon pointed in particular to Green Party economic policy and recent comments from co-leader Marama Davidson about government debt costs, saying voters were entitled to examine those positions closely.
Former prime minister Sir John Key also defended National’s campaign approach, saying Swarbrick had opened herself to greater scrutiny by publicly expressing an interest in becoming finance minister.
Swarbrick, however, said she would prefer the campaign to focus on substantive issues such as the Greens’ proposed wealth tax, the cost of living and economic policy.
Asked whether National’s campaign material crossed the threshold of the Harmful Digital Communications Act, Luxon said he was confident it did not.
Source: RNZ
