Aukaha News story of a Māori women Ellen Tamati was woken my her mokopuna today to hear that her image of her face and moko kauae has been used in racist billboards advertising anti Māori wards. A campaign by Hobson’s Pledge. The media clip of the woman is here https://www.facebook.com/share/v/19LKSEc1f8/
Hours later, there was a public statement from Hobson’s Pledge:
We are aware of a video circulating online involving one of our Māori Wards campaign billboards, which features a stock image of a woman who has expressed distress at seeing her photo used.
The image was legally purchased through a reputable stock photography provider, and all rights to use it in public-facing materials were secured. However, upon seeing the video and understanding the impact on this individual, we have asked the billboard company to remove the advertisement immediately.
While the intent of the campaign was to promote an important conversation about democratic fairness and equal voting rights for all New Zealanders, we are saddened to see that this billboard has caused personal upset. That was never our intention.
We believe in having respectful and constructive conversations about Māori Wards. We hold the view that race-based electoral divisions are unnecessary and undermine equal suffrage, particularly when many Māori candidates are already successfully elected through general seats at both the local and national level.
We will be reaching out privately to the individual featured to ensure she is okay and to let her know her image is publicly available on stock image platforms. Regardless of the positive message we were promoting, we do not want anyone to feel distressed by our materials.Thank you to everyone who continues to engage thoughtfully on this important issue.