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In the cesspool that is often New Zealand’s online political discourse, few figures wield their influence as destructively as Ani O’Brien. Masquerading as a champion of free speech and women’s rights, O’Brien’s campaigns are a masterclass in bad faith, built on a foundation of lies, selective outrage, and a knack for playing the victim when it suits her.
O'Brien's recent obsession with Green MP Benjamin Doyle, which utilized many of these gross manipulations, exposes not just her hypocrisy but also the dangerous consequences of her disinformation, all while she conveniently ignores right-wing politicians with actual associations with, or convictions for, paedophilia.
The misinformation expert's latest online tirade fixates on Doyle’s private Instagram account, which she’s justified the hacking of as being in the interest of safeguarding children. With zero evidence, she’s insinuated predatory behaviour of a sitting MP, stealing and amplifying screenshots of Doyle with their child to paint a sinister and entirely untrue picture. This isn’t just reckless and endangering to Doyle and his family…it’s a calculated right-wing smear campaign, leaning on dog-whistle homophobia to demonize a non-binary person for political gain.
Not content with relegating such dirty political discourse to the darker side of the internet, the mainstream media have happily amplified O’Brien’s hatred, with the NZ Herald unfortunately giving her an unearned and unwarranted platform to cry foul about the Greens’ response to her unjustified attack, framing herself as a concerned lesbian and former Green Party supporter. But let’s cut through the crocodile tears: O’Brien’s no innocent bystander. Her Substack and X posts reveal a person intent on propagating disinformation that’s been provided by anonymous trolls. She’s even admitting to peddling unverified claims, while continuing to promote a more refined level of hatred she believes will find favour amongst conservative readers. This is hateful deception dressed up as advocacy, and it’s a toxic poison that should not be infecting our democratic discourse again.
O’Brien’s victimhood act is as tired as those who echo her, such as the deluded NZ First leader Winston Peters and discredited and convicted defamer Cameron Slater. When called out, O’Brien clutches at pearls, claiming she’s targeted by “hateful left-wing homophobia.” It’s a cynical ploy to deflect accountability while rallying her hateful and abusive base of online attack trolls. She’s not the martyr she pretends to be. Instead, she’s a provocateur who thrives on outrage and controversy. Her Free Speech Union ties and history with Judith Collins’ office scream right-wing operative, not grassroots hero. Yet, she dodges scrutiny by wrapping herself in a rainbow flag she’s quick to discard when it suits her poisonous narrative.
The fallout from her Doyle campaign is chilling. X users, egged on by her insinuations, spiraled into a lynch mob, hurling death threats at Doyle and their family. Posts on platforms like r/ConservativeKiwi escalate her “evidence” into unhinged conspiracies, with users fantasizing about Doyle’s death and tossing around terms like “pedo” with abandon. One Reddit thread even speculated about “MAPs” (minor-attracted persons) hiding under rainbow flags, a vile untrue trope O’Brien’s unhinged rhetoric fuels. This isn’t just discourse…its incitement, and she’s selectively fanning the flames of hatred towards the largely left-wing supporting LGBTQ+ community without evidence or remorse.
Meanwhile, O’Brien’s silence on right-wing figures linked to actual pedophilia scandals is deafening. Take the National Party’s cozy relationship, via MP’s such as Hamish Campbell, with "church" groups like the Two By Twos who are under active FBI investigation for child abuse. Take the former Act Party president, Tim Jago, being found guilty of molesting young boys. Where’s her righteous fury there? Nowhere. Her tunnel vision on Doyle, who hasn’t committed any crime, reeks of political bias so entrenched that she couldn’t see the truth if it slapped her in the face. O’Brien isn’t safeguarding kids; she’s stealing and weaponising their images to score points against the left in a disgusting return to the bad old days of dirty politics.
Ani O’Brien’s brand of activism isn’t about truth…it’s about power. Her lies and selective crusades don’t just undermine opponents; they erode trust, inflame hate, and put lives at risk. New Zealand deserves better than Ani O’Brien’s brand of faux outrage, which inevitably undermines the claims and accounts of the real victims of child sexual abuse.
