“We are treating the circumstances as suspicious, and investigations will be ongoing.”
Photos taken by a Herald photographer show the burned remnants of the National Party election hoarding. Those of rival parties were untouched.
An election hoarding on the intersection of Selcourt Rd and New North Rd, Mt Albert, has been damaged after it was set on fire. Photo / Hayden Woodward
Labour’s Helen White currently holds the highly contested electorate, with Opportunity Party leader Qiulae Wong now vying for its seat alongside long-time National list MP Melissa Lee.
A National Party spokesperson said it would be inappropriate to comment on the specifics while the matter was under police investigation.
“Our campaigns are run by hardworking volunteers who are giving up their free time to make sure voters know that National is fixing the basics and building the future.”
Last week a 43-year-old man was arrested and charged with four counts of wilful damage over a spate of vandalism targeting political billboards in Tauranga.
Area manager Senior Sergeant Shannon Clifford said 30 hoardings of various kinds were damaged in a two-hour period across Pāpāmoa.
“The damage in some cases is significant and, unfortunately, that’s an unnecessary cost for the people who own them.
“We won’t tolerate this illegal and destructive behaviour in our community.
“It’s a warning to anyone wanting to damage or deface hoardings – actions have consequences.”
Police said they are treating the circumstances as suspicious and investigations are ongoing. Photo / Hayden Woodward
Signs for different electoral candidates and parties were torn apart, defaced and graffitied.
Tauranga MP Sam Uffindell said he was aware of sign damage in Greerton, Pāpāmoa, Matua and Bellevue.
“It’s very frustrating.
“They [the offenders] might not like our political party or other political parties, but at the end of the day, this is a democracy, and people have a right to put forward their case.
“There are young kids who are driven around and walk around town every day, and they’re having to see this and be exposed to it. I think it’s pretty disgusting.”
Damaged election signs in Pāpāmoa.
On Monday, Te Pāti Māori leader Debbie Ngarewa-Packer took to social media after a racist slur was scrawled across her election billboard.
She posted a photo that appeared to show the N-word spray-painted across the sign in white.
“I can handle being defaced … as long as you all get enrolled, vote and get this govt out,” she wrote.
She claimed there was “a correlation between the Govt we have and the behaviour emboldened by them”, adding some of that behaviour was now “playing out here”.