95bFM Conspiracy theorists running for local government are removing posts containing misinformation, says activist group
23 August, 2022
Interview by David Williams, adapted by Joel Armstrong
FACT Aotearoa spokesperson Stephen Judd warns that candidates affiliated with Voices For Freedom are being told to hide their connection to the organisation. Photo: Local Government New Zealand.
Recently, New Zealand has seen an increasing number of candidates enter local elections being informed by conspiracy theories.
Out of 130 reports of concern received by Fight Against Conspiracy Theories Aotearoa (FACT) about candidates, the group determined that over half had "unusual beliefs."
Founded in 2020, FACT Aotearoa is a grass-roots activist group made up of volunteer health professionals, academics, lawyers, and teachers, aiming to minimise the impact of harmful misinformation in Aotearoa.
FACT Aotearoa spokesperson Stephen Judd told David Williams on 95bFM's The Wire that these candidates with "unusual beliefs" have either spread misinformation about vaccines and the pandemic on their own social platforms or are linked to Voices For Freedom, a group with a history of promoting Covid-19 misinformation.
Judd warned that candidates affiliated with Voices For Freedom are being told to hide their connection to the organisation, and candidates who have shared conspiracies on social media are deleting their posts.
He said this isn’t true democracy, especially considering candidates for local elections in the past have openly expressed their views, regardless of how unpopular they are.
“Anyone can run in New Zealand, that’s your right, and anyone can believe what they like, that’s your right, but if you conceal that from people who are going to vote for you, then democracy can’t work properly.”
Judd said their objective of stopping the spread of misinformation is challenging, as these beliefs often come from poor life experiences and having a justifiable suspicion of authority that makes people feel vulnerable.
Judd suggested getting in touch with your local government candidates and asking them directly what their views are.
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