Summarised by Centrist
The Green Party is facing backlash after attempting to shut down a billboard campaign criticising its MPs’ stance on policing—despite previously backing legislation to weaken copyright protections for parody.
The billboards, funded by the Sensible Sentencing Trust, featured Green MPs Chlöe Swarbrick and Tamatha Paul alongside phrases like “DEFUND DA POLICE” and mocked Paul’s use of Sound of da Police during a DJ set at CubaDupa.
The imagery also mimicked the party’s campaign branding, prompting the Greens to file a copyright complaint.
Trust spokesperson Louise Parsons confirmed the billboards were altered but called out the Greens’ hypocrisy: “They want copyright laws to protect them when it suits them – just like they turn to the same police they want to abolish when they feel unsafe.”
Green MP Kahurangi Carter is sponsoring a member’s bill that would ease copyright restrictions for parody and satire. However, when the party was targeted by critical billboards, it sought action from the copyright owner to have them removed.
Swarbrick dismissed the campaign as “shock politics” and said it stifled rational debate—but offered no rebuttal to the actual policy criticisms.
Parsons, meanwhile, stood by the campaign’s purpose: “The objective is to highlight what and who the Green Party stand for—because it certainly is not victims.”
Paul, who has questioned police involvement in community safety, told Marae police should be stripped of key duties. “I would limit that,” she said, suggesting specialised services take over most roles.
Despite Tamatha Paul’s claim that police make people feel unsafe, a new poll shows the vast majority of New Zealanders – including her own voters – feel safer when they see officers on patrol.
Read more over at 1News and The NZ Herald
