Scoop has an Ethical Paywall
Work smarter with a Pro licence Learn More

Gordon Campbell | Parliament TV | Parliament Today | News Video | Crime | Employers | Housing | Immigration | Legal | Local Govt. | Maori | Welfare | Unions | Youth | Search

 

Elected Councillor, And Political Candidate Receives Death Threats

Murray Chong, New Plymouth councillor and candidate for the New Conservative party has reported death threats he received overnight to local police.

Chong’s friends and family suggested he take a lower profile throughout the remainder of his campaign, however Chong decided he would use his platform to speak out against the death threats and blatant intimidation he’s received throughout his campaign.

“I’m standing for the people as an elected councillor, I don’t deserve to be threatened, I don’t believe my neighbours around me should be left worrying if fireworks are gunshots directed towards me.”

Mr Chong has been campaigning for the New Conservative party, who seek to disestablish New Zealand’s Maori seats, and has also been vocal against the New Plymouth district councils process around the decision to establish a Maori ward.

In September, Mr Chongs vehicle tyres were slashed following an Interview he gave on a local radio station.

The attacks are not isolated to one individual either. Mr Chong recognises that other parties have also faced vandalism of political hoardings. However, during this campaign, Mr Chong has never before experienced this level of vitriol, property damage and threats of violence.

Mr Chong says “We don’t need to live like this in New Zealand. Some people will use the excuse that parts of New Zealand are normally like that, but it's unacceptable and we need to change.”

Advertisement - scroll to continue reading

Are you getting our free newsletter?

Subscribe to Scoop’s 'The Catch Up' our free weekly newsletter sent to your inbox every Monday with stories from across our network.

Chong would like to see more said and done by our politicians to challenge this behaviour, and is disappointed that some political candidates from other parties have inflamed the situation by publicly calling him a racist.

Chong believes New Zealand belongs to all of us, regardless of race, that we shall have one sovereign government and enjoy the same rights, privileges, and responsibilities as fellow kiwis.

He hopes that the police would speak with the individual, and that they would positively engage in the political process rather than threatening political candidates with violence.

It’s been a challenging campaign so far, with the majority of public events being positive, however Mr Chong says he’s looking forward to taking some time off, sailing in the Bay Of Islands, and will also be making a visit to Waitangi.

© Scoop Media

Advertisement - scroll to continue reading
 
 
 
Parliament Headlines | Politics Headlines | Regional Headlines



Gordon Campbell: On Dune 2, And Images Of Islam


Depictions of Islam in Western popular culture have rarely been positive, even before 9/11. Five years on from the mosque shootings, this is one of the cultural headwinds that the Muslim community has to battle against. Whatever messages of tolerance and inclusion are offered in daylight, much of our culture tends to be hostile to Islam when we’re sitting in the dark, with popcorn.
Any number of movie examples come to mind, beginning with Rudolf Valentino’s role (over a century ago) as the romantic Arab hero in The Sheik...
More


 
 


Government: One-stop Shop Major Projects On The Fast Track

The Coalition Government’s new one-stop-shop fast track consenting regime for regional and national projects of significance will cut red tape and make it easier for New Zealand to build the infrastructure and major projects needed to get the country moving again... More

ALSO:


Government: GPS 2024: Over $20 Billion To Get Transport Back On Track
Transport Minister Simeon Brown has released the draft Government Policy Statement (GPS) on Land Transport, outlining the Coalition Government’s plan to build and maintain a transport system that enables people to get to where they need to go quickly and safely... More

ALSO:

Government: Humanitarian Support For Gaza & West Bank

Winston Peters has announced NZ is providing a further $5M to respond to the extreme humanitarian need in Gaza and the West Bank. “The impact of the Israel-Hamas conflict on civilians is absolutely appalling," he said... More


Government: New High Court Judge Appointed

Judith Collins has announced the appointment of Wellington Barrister Jason Scott McHerron as a High Court Judge. Justice McHerron graduated from the University of Otago with a BA in English Literature in 1994 and an LLB in 1996... More

 
 
 
 
 
 

LATEST HEADLINES

  • PARLIAMENT
  • POLITICS
  • REGIONAL
 
 

InfoPages News Channels


 
 
 
 

Join Our Free Newsletter

Subscribe to Scoop’s 'The Catch Up' our free weekly newsletter sent to your inbox every Monday with stories from across our network.