In Dunedin, Dunedin city councillor Steve Walker took to social media yesterday to remind others to remain civil even if people were seen to be wearing the wrong political colours.
Cr Walker said after a day on the campaign trail, door-knocking with Labour MP David Clark on Saturday, he went out for dinner with his wife, while still wearing the Labour T-shirt he had worn all day.
Over the course of the evening, another guest at a Dunedin restaurant started berating him and his wife.
The man was aged in his 50s or 60s and ‘‘very drunk’’, he said.
After the establishment, which Cr Walker declined to name, ejected the other party, the man shouted an objectionable comment directed at him and the shirt he was wearing that showed his support for Labour.
‘‘People wearing a Labour T-shirt should be shot in the head,’’ the man allegedly yelled.
Last night Cr Walker called the behaviour ‘‘the sort of ‘Trumpian’ reaction’’ New Zealand would be better off without.
He said negative conduct surrounding politics was on the increase, to his mind, for a number of reasons.
National’s Southland candidate Joseph Mooney said overnight on Saturday National Party election hoardings in Centennial Ave at the western end of Alexandra were toppled.
No other party’s hoardings were damaged in the street, he said.
Mr Mooney, a Queenstown-based lawyer, was named on July 31 to replace Hamish Walker as the candidate for the new Southland electorate.
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Comments
The exercised are about.
From the picture it doesn't look like the signs are smashed, just pushed over.
Sounds like an individual doesn't like his politics and over-reacted. What does that have to do with Trump?
Was the person who destroyed the National hoardings pictured also displaying Trumpian behaviour? It certainly wasn't very 'kind'!
Saying people should 'be shot' for their politics is Trumpian.
Trump encouraged physical assault of journalists at the early Stadium rally.
We don't know who is destroying billboards.
It's interesting you bring up the word 'kind'. Last night, a TalkBack host called for the prohibition of 'be kind', as "kind is a politicised word".
People are entitled to go out for an evening without being subjected to personal abuse and threats like this.
Not good enough Dunedin, we are a better city than this.
Being drunk is NEVER an excuse. Alcohol brings out the true nature of people, shows their character for what it really is.
And yes, it is Trumpian behaviour. It's the sort of threats and actions we have come to expect from his supporters. We don't need this sort of political nonsense in this country.
One man, not Dunedin, was drunk and threatening.
Obvious i know, but why is a city Councillor out door knocking with a labour MP, instead of door knocking talking to ratepayers about the city they are supposed to serve. Also here is a thought, perhaps all city Councillors should go out with a T-Shirt saying im a city Councillor and see what reaction they would get.
Are city councilors not allowed to support political candidates in their own time? It's not as if he is doing anything in his capacity as a councilor.
Why would this even concern you, or anybody for that matter?
It's no secret that he is a member of the Labour Party. His being a city councilor is irrelevant to this story.
If being a city councilor is irrelevant to the story, why was it all through the story? it seems yet again you cant question the left!!!
It's only in the story because the ODT chose to make it part of the story. The man himself didn't.
Just because it's part of the story doesn't make it relevant.
He took to social media to report it and then it appears spoke to the ODT, seems he wants it relevant.