New Zealand politics has reached a dangerous tipping point. What was once a reasonably sensible political landscape has become infested with conspiracy theorists, anti-vaccine zealots, and assorted cranks who wouldn't recognise evidence-based policy if it slapped them in the face with a peer-reviewed journal.
Perhaps you've heard that the founder of Counterspin Media, Kelvyn Alp, is running in the upcoming Tāmaki Makaurau by-election, and trying to bring his particular brand of conspiracy-fuelled nonsense to a wider audience. This is the same individual who has spent years spreading misinformation and conspiracy theories through his discredited media platform, Counterspin Media.
That such a figure feels emboldened to seek elected office speaks volumes about how far democracy has fallen in New Zealand.
Today, The Post reported:
A candidate in the Tāmaki Makaurau by-election has revived the name and identity of a defunct political party, drawing accusations of “theft” from its founder.
Kelvyn Alp, a fringe media figure best known as the co-founder of the conspiracy-driven outlet Counterspin Media, is one of five candidates vying for the seat left vacant after the death of Te Pāti Māori’s Takutai Moana ‘Tarsh’ Kemp.
He is running under the banner of New Zealand Loyal, the political party launched by former broadcaster Liz Gunn ahead of the 2023 general election. The party won 1.2% of the vote and was de-registered shortly afterwards.
Meanwhile, the appointment of Jaap Knegtmans within Peters' ministerial office is particularly troubling. This individual has promoted various conspiracy theories, including references to "clot shots" and "globalists" exhibiting the kind of poisonous rhetoric that has no place in serious governance.
When the Foreign Affairs Minister's office becomes a breeding ground for conspiracy theorists, we've crossed a line that threatens the very fabric of democracy and our international relationships.
Today, Andrea Vance also reported:
A NZ First staffer who cheered on the Parliament occupation is still posting conspiracy theories and far-right content while working in the office of Winston Peters. Andrea Vance investigates.
In February 2022, Jaap Knegtmans was on Parliament’s lawn, attending the anti-mandate occupation.
Three and a half years later, he is inside the Beehive, employed as a ministerial press secretary and adviser in the office of NZ First leader and foreign affairs minister Winston Peters.
Telegram posts and videos reviewed by the Sunday Star-Times reveal a long record of Knegtmans promoting conspiracy theories, vaccine misinformation, and far-right talking points – and he has continued to post similar material while working in government.
However, the problem of cookers trying to infiltrate our local and central governments extends far beyond these two recent developments. Cast your mind back in time to Sue Grey, a lawyer turned conspiracy theorist, who promoted anti-vaccine misinformation during COVID-19 which attempted to undermine the very foundations of our public health system. Grey may have deregistered her Freedoms New Zealand political party, formed alongside co-leader and cultist Brian Tamaki, but her demise, like Leighton Baker and his New Conservative Party, showcases the journey from respected professional to outright conspiracy theorist, illustrating how these toxic ideas can capture even educated individuals and cause their downfall.
Then there's Hannah Tamaki, leader of another conspiracy driven political party, Vision NZ, who is again contesting the Tāmaki Makaurau seat, having received 829 votes in 2023.
Like her husband, Brian Tamaki, Hannah's political career, or lack thereof, has been built on a foundation of religious fanaticism mixed with conspiracy theories, representing the dangerous fusion of religious fundamentalism and political extremism that threatens our delicate democratic institutions.
Which brings us to Jami-Lee Ross, whose fall from National Party MP to conspiracy theorist and convicted criminal represents the absolute nadir of political degradation. Ross, after being ousted from the National Party, formed Advance New Zealand and allied with Billy Te Kahika’s nutty New Zealand Public Party, which was explicitly driven by conspiracy theories. His transformation from parliamentarian to what can only be described as a thoroughly discredited pimp shows how conspiracy thinking can completely destroy political careers and personal credibility.
On 1 August, RNZ reported:
Ex-National MP Jami-Lee Ross seeks political comeback
Former National MP Jami-Lee Ross says he may not be a perfect person, but he would get things done.
Ross is seeking a comeback in politics at a local level and is putting his hat in the ring to serve on the Howick Local Board in Auckland.
"I spent six years on the Manukau City Council before a decade spent in Parliament. I understand council and government processes well and I can put those skills to good use working at a local board level," he said in a statement.
The common thread connecting all these figures is their complete abandonment of evidence-based reasoning. Whether discussing vaccination policy, climate change, international relations, or basic public health measures, they consistently choose conspiracy theories over scientific evidence. This disillusionment represents a fundamental threat to democratic governance, which should in theory depend on informed debate based on factual information to make decisions that benefit all New Zealanders.
What makes this situation particularly dangerous is how these grifters have managed to gain platforms and influence within established political parties. When Winston Peters' office employs publicly vociferous conspiracy theorists, when fringe candidates with criminal convictions feel confident enough to run for Parliament, and when established politicians embrace conspiracy thinking, we're witnessing the systematic corruption of our democratic institutions.
The solution requires vigilance from voters, mainstream media, and established political parties. We must refuse to normalise deluded conspiracy thinking, challenge misinformation wherever it appears, and ensure that evidence-based policy-making becomes a fundamental foundation of democratic governance. The alternative, a political system dominated by conspiracy theorists who reject evidence in favour of paranoid fantasy, which represents an existential threat to effective governance and social cohesion.
New Zealand deserves better than government by conspiracy theory. The time has come to draw clear lines and keep the cookers out of serious political discourse before they poison our democracy entirely.
