Green Party Co-Leader Chlöe Swarbrick responds to Foreign Minister Winston Peters, as he blames the ‘radical left’ for an attack on his home.
One NZ says it will remove the woman who publicised Winston Peters’ address online from its ads following a window at his home being smashed.
Acacia O’Connor, an actor who appears in current One NZ ads, was one of a crowd of pro-Palestine protesters outside the Foreign Minister’s Aucklandhome last week, which she livestreamed online and publicised Peters’ address.
Yesterday evening, a window at Peters’ home was smashed. A 29-year-old man has been charged with burglary and is set to appear in court on Friday.
In a statement, One NZ head of sustainability Nicky Preston said the company didn’t support any activity that put people at risk.
“We don’t back any behaviour that puts people’s safety at risk.
Acacia O'Connor is recognisable for starring in a popular series of One NZ ads. Photo / One NZ
Earlier today, Finance Minister Nicola Willis said she expected One NZ would “take another look” at its advertisements that feature O’Connor.
Willis also implored Green Party co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick to “call the dogs off”, given Swarbrick stood alongside O’Connor at a press conference yesterday concerning New Zealanders who had been detained by Israel.
Asked whether O’Connor’s presence in the ads was a bad look for the company, Willis said: “I’m sure that One NZ will want to take another look at that.”
Labour MP and media spokesman Reuben Davidson acknowledged it had the “potential to be a bad look“.
“Well, potentially it is, but I mean they’re a commercial company, it’s up to them to decide who they want in their campaigns and how they manage that.”
On the incident concerning Peters’ home, Willis said it was “appalling” for protesters to congregate outside politicians’ homes and encouraged Swarbrick to use her platform to reiterate that message.
“They are innocent bystanders in this and I think it shows a really appalling lack of human decency to engage in this sort of behaviour,” Willis said.
“You know what Chlöe Swarbrick could do today? If she agrees with me, she should call the dogs off and tell those protesters to stop protesting outside politicians’ homes.”
Swarbrick has been approached for comment but earlier said she condemned the incident concerning Peters’ home.
Adam Pearse is the Deputy Political Editor and part of the NZ Herald’s Press Gallery team based at Parliament in Wellington. He has worked for NZME since 2018, reporting for the Northern Advocate in Whangārei and the Herald in Auckland.
