Colin Ambler/cvnznews.com
Labour leader Chris Hipkins appears to have been blindsided after former Labour candidate Kerrin Leoni confirmed she will continue her bid for the Tāmaki Makaurau seat, despite stepping down as an official Labour Party candidate last week.
Hipkins had announced Leoni’s resignation after controversy erupted over her appearance at a Mongrel Mob-linked event during the election campaign. While Labour distanced itself from her actions, New Zealand’s electoral rules meant it was already too late to remove her name from the ballot paper.
As a result, voters will still see Leoni listed as Labour’s candidate when they cast their votes, even though Hipkins has insisted she no longer represents the party.
At the time of her resignation, Hipkins said Leoni was withdrawing from campaigning altogether and made it clear that she would not be part of any future Labour caucus.
“She will not be a Labour MP,” Hipkins said.
However, that position was thrown into doubt days later when Leoni announced she intended to continue seeking election, effectively running as an independent candidate despite remaining identified as Labour on the ballot.
In a social media post, Leoni said supporters had urged her not to abandon her campaign and convinced her to stay in the race. She has since confirmed she would serve a full parliamentary term if elected by Tāmaki Makaurau voters.
Hipkins admitted Monday he was surprised by the decision.
“She was very clear,” he said. “She wanted to see the government change, and she felt that the right thing to do at that time was to stand aside so that it wasn’t a distraction during the campaign. I took her at her word on that.”
The Labour leader said Leoni had indicated she would withdraw from the race entirely.
“She indicated that she was going to be withdrawing completely,” he told media.
The development leaves Labour in an awkward position. The party has publicly severed ties with Leoni, yet voters can still cast a vote for her under Labour’s banner because nominations have already closed.
The controversy stems from allegations Leoni campaigned alongside members of the Mongrel Mob, claims first raised by Te Pāti Māori MP Oriini Kaipara. Additional images later emerged showing Leoni holding campaign material alongside gang members.
The issue exploded into a wider political debate over gangs and political engagement after photographs surfaced of politicians from Te Pāti Māori and the Green Party campaigning at a Mongrel Mob property.
Hipkins responded by criticising the involvement of political parties with gang-associated events and ruled out giving justice-related portfolios to the Greens or Te Pāti Māori in any Labour-led government.
Despite the controversy, Leoni remains one of just three candidates contesting the Tāmaki Makaurau electorate.
Whether voters reward her defiance or view it as further evidence of poor judgment now rests with the electorate. What is clear is that a candidate Labour believed had exited the race is very much still in it.
