The ACT candidate, homophobic Tweets, and why some party insiders say the selection process is flawed
Tuesday, 26 September 2023
An ACT candidate liked homophobic social media posts and a meme which mocked Chlöe Swarbrick’s struggles with mental health.
Whangaparāoa hopeful Simon Angelo, who is 37 on ACT’s list, is the latest in a string of the party’s candidates under scrutiny for controversial online behaviour.
And it comes as a number of former prospective candidates spoke to The Post to express concerns about the selection process.
Five have resigned in recent months, including one who suggested drowning victims had died due to the Covid-19 vaccine and another who compared mandates to Nazi concentration camps.
Earlier this year, financial adviser Angelo liked a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, which scorned Green MP Swarbrick for her history of depression and anxiety, seeking professional help and taking medication.
Swarbrick – the Greens’ mental health spokesperson – has talked openly about being queer and her battle with depression. The meme called her crazy, a spoilt brat and a homophobic slur.
Angelo also clicked the heart emoji to like posts targeting the LGBQT+ community, including an offensive slur aimed at Labour MP Shanan Halbert. Others featured dehumanising tropes, typically used by the far right to associate queer people with paedophilia.
Although he didn’t repost the messages, it is widely accepted that ‘like’ is a function that allows users to share their positive feelings about a tweet.
He also added his support to a message calling for a boycott of the Warehouse because they were donating to LGBTQ+ communities, and one which said teachers who teach about sexual orientation should not be teachers.
Another, by far right activist Chantelle Baker, implied women are promiscuous only because they were abused.
And Angelo expressed appreciation for another post which referred to feminism as “a scam” and a growing online conspiracy about the Great Reset, a post-Covid economic recovery plan.
Angelo, who pens an investment newsletter offering “what the mainstream media won’t tell you,” refused to comment yesterday. “I would say there is no comment on those [posts]. And I’m not going to comment any further.”
The Post asked for an interview with ACT Party leader David Seymour. President Harry Lynch provided a statement that said neither Angelo nor the party shared the views expressed in the tweets.
A follow-up question noted the consistent thread of homophobia, and asked why he had liked them, went unanswered.
Inflammatory social media posts by new candidates put ACT in damage control just weeks from the election. Last month, Seymour was forced to defend the party’s vetting process which he said involved interviews, reference checks, schooling, and social media scrutiny.
But three former party members who went through the selection process for ACT have spoken to The Post about their concerns. All three have walked away from the party – saying red flags were ignored, the process was predetermined and that Seymour had too much influence.
One, who already had a solid background in politics, was approached by both National and ACT to run. He went through ACT’s School of Practical Politics, a seven-week-long, online training programme – but withdrew when given a low-ranked list placing.
Controversial views were displayed during the school – including by some who have since had to resign, he said. “It was quite concerning…I was shocked at the quality, but I thought they would winnow them out. There were people who had rhetoric that was scary.”
Lynch said: “There are always going to be a few people who take part in a contest and come out believing it was unfair.
“The reality is that ACT’s board met for three days and undertook an exhaustive process to decide our list for the election.”
The former party member says he felt “used” by the process. “If you are shocked about the end result of a process, it is an incredibly bad process. I’d been given every indication that I was exactly what they were looking for. And then was thrown on the scrap heap. How dare they treat people in this way?”
Seymour exerts too much influence over the board and the final decisions, he said. That was a criticism frequently levelled at former National Party president Peter Goodfellow after a series of vetting scandals.
“They were rubber-stamping a process. [It was] an absolute joke,” he said. “All those on the list are Yes men and women. David has the party by the balls. He has taken it to a particular point and…is running things with a tight fist.”
Another candidate agreed, describing Seymour as “a cult leader.” He became uncomfortable with some opinions expressed about New Zealand’s Covid response during the candidate training process.
From an immigrant background, he believes he wasn’t selected because he spoke out against racism at a public meeting. He has since joined Labour.
“A small portion of them are so anti-[Māori ],” he said. “There was so much against the Māori language and I didn't understand that. I got up, and said I fully support Māori, they are the natives of the land, and we have to respect and honour them. Nobody spoke. I think they didn’t like what I said.”
ACT has three Māori MPs: Seymour, who is of Ngāpuhi descent and speaks te reo; Karen Chhour and Nicole McKee.
A third candidate believes he was exploited for his community influence and ability to fundraise. “He [Seymour] played a game with me. I don’t think it was a fair process. I wish they had been upfront with me that I was never going to be a candidate.”
He is furious after wasting weeks on training sessions as well as money on flights and hotels. “Some of the people were very good, but some were meh. Some didn’t even know what a policy is.”