Parliamentary Service working with police over Benjamin Doyle death threats

Tuesday, 1 April 2025

Greens Co-Leader Marama Davidson says the Green Party have been receiving an 'immense' number of death threats and abuse against Green MP Benjamin Doyle.

Parliamentary Service says it is “working closely” with Green MP Benjamin Doyle and the police, after the Green Party said the MP was receiving death threats.

“We take the security of our members very seriously and are working closely with the member and police. For security reasons, we cannot comment further on the support provided,” said Parliamentary Service chief executive Rafael Gonzalez-Montero, on Tuesday morning.

Police said they could not comment for privacy reasons.

Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters has raised questions about Doyle’s now deleted social media posts, some of which featured Doyle’s child.

The posts have circulated on social media alongside unsubstantiated claims about Doyle. Peters said on Monday “there is enough in those posts for the police to make an inquiry as to whether they breach the law or not”.

Green Party MP Benjamin Doyle’s social media posts have attracted controversy.

The screenshots of a personal Instagram page operated by Doyle titled “biblebeltbussy” ‒ bussy being a portmanteau of “boy” and “pussy” used within the LGBTQI+ community ‒ include one showing Doyle’s child and the caption “bussy galore”.

Doyle identifies as gender non-binary and uses they/them pronouns. They are a Hamilton-based list MP who entered Parliament in 2024 after former Green MP Darleen Tana was ousted amid claims of migrant exploitation at her husband’s bicycle business.

The Green Party has said Peters is “fanning the flames of hatred towards the rainbow community” and prompting an “immense” number of death threats and abuse towards Doyle and their child.

Party co-leader Marama Davidson said on Tuesday afternoon the threats against Doyle had “ramped up” since Monday.

“I want to acknowledge that there are uses of language and content that will be unfamiliar to a lot of people right now.

“What we are talking about here is a far right co-ordinated attack on a member of the rainbow community based purely on some social media content that has been private, social media content that has been taken completely out of context.”

Doyle has not been present at Parliament amid these safety concerns.

The Waikato Times sought comment at Doyle’s home in Hamilton on Tuesday afternoon, however it was not clear whether the MP was there.

A woman who said she was Doyle’s partner came to the door, and when asked if Doyle wanted to speak replied: 'No.'

Asked whether Doyle was inside the house she said: 'No.'

Peters, posting on social media, said, “we are not accusing him of anything. If the police want to investigate they can.”

Police would not comment.

“Police are unable to respond to queries which seek to establish whether a specific individual is, or has been, under police investigation,” a spokesperson said.