Departing Green MP Benjamin Doyle (Ngāpuhi, Te Kapotai, Te Pōpoto) has laid bare the full extent of the unprecedented level of abuse and harassment that has driven them to leave Parliament.
They describe a relentless campaign of threats, break-ins, threats on their child, assaults, and police interventions that turned their life, and their child’s, into what they call “a tsunami” of fear.
In their valedictory speech delivered this week, they described Parliament as a place of hostility, “especially if you are not a cis straight white man with a blue suit and a briefcase, but most of all it is not fit for purpose,” they told the House.
Doyle, the country’s first non-binary MP, told Te Ao Māori News in an exclusive exit interview that police have charged more than 10 people over threats or actions against them.
The police have confirmed that of the 10 reports under investigation, they have issued formal warnings to four individuals for breaches of the Harmful Digital Communications Act 2015.
That essentially means they are on notice, and if they repeat or escalate that behaviour, they risk being charged and facing up to 2 years in prison or a fine of up to $50,000.
One case has been filed with no further police action.
The 5 remaining cases are progressing and remain under investigation.
“I’ve always experienced abuse publicly and online, just existing as an openly queer person with strong views about Māori rights, Te Tiriti rights, women’s rights,” Doyle said.
“But this was a magnified version of that. There’s only so much hate, violence, and threats to your life and your child’s life that you can tolerate.”
‘Come home’
The decision to leave was ultimately made at the request of their seven-year-old child.
During a FaceTime call, Doyle asked what three wishes their daughter would make if given the choice.
“She said: no guns, no war, and you would come home and live with us again,” Doyle recalled.
“That solidified the choice. If I’m not listening to the requests of my own tamaiti, what’s the point of being here? Everything we do should be for our kids.”
The daily reality of security alerts, police escorts, and safety plans for them and at their child’s school made it impossible to ignore the toll.
Doyle said they could no longer walk to Parliament without logging their route, or even check the letterbox without fear after experiencing physical abuse on some occasions.
“We had police escorting myself or my child. I wasn’t allowed to leave my house. We had a security plan at my child’s school in case someone tried to kidnap her.”
A Parliament not fit for purpose
Doyle said the incessant nature of the abuse has exposed deep cracks in Parliament’s ability to protect those who do not fit the mould of a colonial institution.
“This is a place built for white men, for power and profit. It is not safe for women, Māori, migrants, disabled, rainbow, or trans people,” Doyle said.
“If Parliament does not reckon with why people are being harmed, if it cannot keep Māori or rainbow people safe, then it cannot serve its purpose.”
They warned that the rise of imported culture-war rhetoric is eroding Aotearoa’s political environment. “That is not of this place. That is not Aotearoa. But it is here now, and it is poisoning the well.”
Amud controversy
Doyle’s tenure was marred early by intense scrutiny over their private Instagram account, which was essentially when the torrent of abuse and harassment began.
NZ First leader Winston Peters seized on screenshots that included the phrase “bussy galore” captioning a photo set, one of which featured Doyle’s child.
The word “bussy,” slang within parts of the rainbow community, became the flashpoint for an online campaign against them.
At the time, Doyle acknowledged they were “politically naive” not to delete the page, but insisted the term was an in-joke and an expression of their queer identity.
“I could never imagine or prepare myself to be attacked in such a baseless, personal, and violent way,” Doyle said in their first press conference after the scandal.
“That my life and that of my child would be threatened. Queer people are not a danger to children. This is an outdated and homophobic lie.”
The fallout triggered an avalanche of death threats and harassment, which they say is still ongoing to this day.
‘I leave with pride’
In their resignation statement earlier this month, Doyle described the toll of the abuse but emphasised that leaving Parliament was not a defeat.
“Whānau is the most precious thing in the world. From the start, I have always said my child is my priority. My tamaiti asked me to leave Parliament, and I am leaving for them and for my own well-being.
“I leave Parliament with pride, and that is something nobody can take away from me. It was a pleasure and a privilege to represent and work for the communities that carried me here.”
Doyle says their time in Parliament may be over, but their political life is not.
“I exist, therefore I am political. Whether inside Parliament or outside, I will always be political. We have always been here. We will always continue to be here, whether people like it or not. No amount of hate will disappear us.”
A message to the rainbow and takatāpui community
For Doyle, the battle was never just about survival; it was about carving out space for others.
“Parliament does not reflect our true diversity. Georgina Beyer carved out space. I have had to as well. My hope is someone younger sees that there is space for them too.
“It is your right to be here, as intelligent, loving, caring members of our community. No one can tell you who or what you can be. We define that ourselves.”
They leave Parliament with a final call to action.
“We have to keep fighting. If we do not, no one will come here. Be wrapped around by community.
Do not be scared, just be ready. I will be here supporting you, cheering you on.”
*Doyle spoke to Te Ao Māori News before their valedictory speech on Thursday.
