Council candidate has one-third stake in conspiracy theorist's new media company
Thursday, 25 August 2022
A Canterbury council candidate has a one-third stake in a new media company started by a conspiracy theorist and anti-vaxxer who was banned from Facebook.
Phil Shaw is standing for the Kaiapoi-Woodend ward of the Waimakariri District Council as an independent but refused to answer questions about his involvement with Chantelle Baker’s new platform except to say the public “could look it up”.
Baker was thrown off Facebook by owner Meta, on Saturday for sharing misleading information that could lead to harm. In March, when the Wellington protests erupted into violence and flames, Baker reported live that occupiers had started a fire in Parliament grounds. As the violence escalated she said it was police but was forced to walk back on her claims the next morning when video evidence showed this was wrong.
Since her Facebook page was taken down, Baker has started a company named Operation People with Shaw as the second-largest shareholder, and begun to sell T-shirts including one with a transphobic slogan.
She has also stated she intends to set up a podcast studio.
Not long before the company was registered in late July, Shaw registered a film and video production company, Scryptworx Studios Limited. That company then took a 32% stake in Baker’s company and Shaw has a 1% shareholding alongside Jacob White - who also has a 1% stake.
When Stuff visited Shaw’s Kaiapoi home he refused to answer questions about why he was involved with Baker’s company or how much he had invested.
Stuff has also seen 12 Official Information Requests (OIAs) sent to a government department by a man named P Shaw that included reference to conspiracy theories such as The Great Reset - a misinformation campaign that incorrectly claimed a global elite is using the coronavirus pandemic to dismantle capitalism and enforce radical social change.
In March this year the man requested all email communications sent to any official in the Prime Minister and Cabinet’s office between September 2020 and 2021 that included the term “The Great Reset”.
In November last year P Shaw asked via an OIA request for an “up to date” list of accredited media Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern referred to in a press conference.
Following the Government’s response, the man responded, describing the accredited media as “propaganda”. He also asked for any report by intelligence analysts that included the term Critical Race Theory.
When asked if he was the same man who sent OIA requests on these topics, Shaw refused to answer.
Shaw said he would not comment on which groups he shared affiliations with because “I guess with my background and stuff I’ve just seen some reporting I don’t agree with”.
He said he had written a statement that would be released in a council booklet next week.
Vicki Payne is also standing for the Waimakariri District Council in the same ward and as a Community Board member in Woodend and Sefton, while vocal anti-mandate protestor Colin Wightman will stand in the Oxford-Ohoka ward.
A woman with the same name as Payne has a private Telegram account that follows conspiracy groups including The White Rose. Telegram allows users to discuss topics they do not want made public.
The woman also engages with Counterspin’s Telegram account – a far-right conspiracy media platform, and commented on a video about satanic rituals from the group, saying she “didn’t doubt satanic rituals were real”.
Five Christchurch City Council candidates are receiving help from anti-vaccination, anti-mandate group Voices For Freedom (VFF) as is one woman, who is standing for the Selwyn District Council.