Our Deputy Prime Minister is spreading disinformation - shouldn't we be concerned?

What should we expect from our deputy PM?

Four days ago, Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters posted something on Facebook he knew to be untrue. Four days later, it is still up. And either no media have asked him why it’s still up, or he has not responded to any journalists.

This is a serious concern for our democracy.

On 3 August, Winston Peters or somebody in his team wrote the following update on their Facebook page:

This is why NZFirst fought for gender rules in sports to be in our coalition agreement - for fairness and safety in women’s sports.

All the virtue signalling disintegrates when an Olympic female boxer takes two hits from an opponent who previously failed a gender test, abandons the match, and sobs in the middle of the ring.

It’s a shocking example of why biological men should not compete in women’s sports.

It isn’t about being anti anyone or anything. It’s about safety and fairness in sports.

The post included images of two women Olympians Imane Khelif from Algeria and Angela Carini from Italy. Carini ended her match 46 seconds in due to what she said was an ‘equipment failure’ and because of an injury to her nose.

Both Imane Khelif and Angela Carini are women.

There was a firestorm following this from racists who were offended by a brown woman fighting a white woman. And sexists who needed to believe women cannot not have powerful punches so they must be men.

Rumours began that Imane Khelif was trans (she isn’t), was intersex (she isn’t) or had XY Chromosomes (she doesn’t). The XY rumour likely comes from the fallout from a boxing competition held in Russia and run by the International Boxing Association (IBA) which has links to organised crime. After Khelif won against a previously unbeaten Russian opponent, Umar Kremlev of Russia questioned the gender identity of Khelif and Taiwan’s Lin Yu-Ting. Both had previously competed at the Paris Olympics.

Of course, the IBA refused to provide evidence of the tests undertaken. And its board minutes show there was no testing actually done.

None of this matters. Because everyone who posted that Imane Khelif was a man, knew she was not a man. They just did not care.

Winston Peters knew that Imane Khelif was not a man. He knew Imane Khelif was not transgender (though it is clear that he would have viewed her as a man even if she was a trans woman because he is transphobic). He knew there was no proof of any failed gender test. He just did not care.

So what do we do with that?

The cliche of lying politicians isn’t new. But there’s something alarming about a politician who embraces lying to this extent - and even in the face of an entire world slinking back and saying ‘oops my bad, she isn’t a man’ still refuses to back down.

Disinformation is classed as “false or modified information knowingly and deliberately shared to cause harm or achieve a broader aim” by the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet.

Disinformation is one of New Zealand’s National Security Strategy core issues and a National Security Intelligence Priority.

Disinformation is deadly. We know that. A recent documentary on Neon The Truth Vs Alex Jones highlighted the horrific toll a decade of lying about the Sandy Hook Elementary School Shooting had on parents whose children were killed.

There are many parallels between Peters and Jones. They’re both loud, bombastic, egocentric and like to be the centre of attention. Peters has also inserted conspiracy into Aotearoa’s own mass shooting - causing devastating consequences for survivors and the families of victims. At the time Federation of Islamic Associations of New Zealand spokesperson Abdur Razzaq told RNZ that he didn’t expect that Winston Peters would apologise given his previous comments about Islamic immigrants. Razzaq said at the time:

"New Zealand is trying to find out how we can prevent future deaths. That should be the focus. The focus should be on the families, the whānau, who are finding out how their loved ones died, and what happened and why it happened. This is not a time for political posturing."

When we do cruel things to each other, we usually feel shame. Therapy-speak and nice white ladies selling books are very big believers in everyone having ‘no shame’ but actually shame can stop us from hurting each other and shame can make us take responsibility for the harm we have caused after the fact.

Winston Peters has no shame. That means that any proof of harm for the pain he causes with the disinformation he shares, does not make him feel ashamed. Without this - he simply carries on. And in his wake, he leaves broken communities and broken people and a democracy he’s slowly chipping away any trust in.

So what can be done?

With no incentive for him to stop disinformation, the disinformation becomes all that we see. And like the case of the mosque shooting - the conversation becomes about Peters (which he wants) rather than ensuring that nothing like this ever happens again.

Peters dominates every conversation. He gets his front page moment. And we suffer under this megalomania.

Fellow politicians who should care about the health of our democracy, who should care about Truth - simply don’t. National's Nicola Willis said Winston Peters lying about the Public Interest Journalism Fund, and calling it a bribe was "Winston being Winston."

Obviously Christopher Luxon who is almost in a puppet position as Prime Minister has said nothing about Winston Peters’ repeated disinformation campaigns.

So, it comes down to New Zealanders. Samantha Green and Louisa Wall decided they’d had enough and would demand some accountability for Peters’ disinformation.

They have started a petition calling on Parliament to take decisive action against the spread of disinformation and misinformation by public officials and political figures.

“Recent statements made by New Zealand’s Deputy Prime Minister, Winston Peters, regarding gender rules in sports have demonstrated a troubling disregard for truth and an exploitation of sensitive issues for political gain. Such actions not only mislead the public but also foster division and prejudice,” the petition says.

They have clear demands and a way forward.

“Disinformation is a deliberate attempt to mislead and manipulate public opinion, often with harmful consequences. It obscures the truth, incites fear, and distracts from meaningful, evidence-based discussions. When such disinformation is propagated by elected officials, it not only betrays the principles of honesty and transparency but also erodes the foundational values of democracy.”

The petition calls on Parliament to:

1. Strengthen Regulations and Oversight: Develop and implement stronger regulations to address the spread of disinformation by public officials. This includes establishing clear guidelines against misinformation and disinformation in the Cabinet Manual and codes of conduct for elected representatives to enhance accountability and integrity in public discourse.

2. Promote Transparency and Truth: Support initiatives that enhance transparency and truthfulness in public statements and media coverage. Encourage public figures to adhere to high standards of factual accuracy and integrity.

3. Foster Public Awareness and Education: Invest in educational programs that help citizens critically evaluate information and recognise disinformation. This includes supporting media literacy programs that equip the public with the skills to discern credible information from falsehoods.

4. Encourage Responsible Communication: Advocate for a culture of responsible communication among public officials and political leaders. Promote ethical standards that prioritise the well-being of citizens over political gain.

By addressing the issue of disinformation head-on, Parliament can help restore public trust, uphold democratic values, and ensure that public discourse is grounded in truth and respect. We urge you to take immediate action to combat the spread of misleading information and protect the integrity of our democratic processes.

I emailed Winston Peters asking for comment and he did not respond.