“Woke barrel-hugging piece of scum.”
It’s one of the latest insults sent to Selwyn District councillor Shane Epiha who says he is fed up with the insidious actions of faceless bullies.
Epiha (Ngāpuhi, Waikato, and Ngāti Mutunga o Wharekauri) had already decided not to run for a third term on council, but the rising tide of online abuse has solidified his decision.
“It’s not unusual to receive negative comments and messages over the past six years.
“But they have been getting worse the last couple of years.”
Recent consultation on the Government’s Local Water Done Well reforms became a powder keg in Selwyn, he said.
Rather than robust and respectful debate, Epiha said there was a barrage of insults and accusations aimed at councillors.
“[Feedback became] more disturbing, angry, often violent, and racially motivated. The kind of personal attacks that makes one feel unsafe and scared for their families.”
He said his wife has been brought to tears by some of comments, and it reached the point where his family don’t feel safe in their own community.
“She holds our children’s hands tightly when she’s walking around in public, even in a little town like Leeston.
“That’s not the society that I put my hand up to advocate for.”
‘Faceless bullies spouting comments’
Social media has resulted in an increase of “faceless bullies spouting comments”, with people hiding behind email addresses to say insidious things, he said.
“A discussion over a cup of tea goes a long way compared to someone degrading you via email that you have never met before.
“On an email and social media there just needs to be some of that respect – that what you type is something you would say to a person face in public.
“Some of the comments made in a Facebook forum, those people will not make them in a professional forum like LinkedIn, because it’s a reflection on their professionalism.”
The digital world was making society selfish, he said.
“We are only focused on our point of view and don’t consider how the other person might be going before saying something harmful.
“You might strike someone on a bad day and those words could have devastating consequences for a person.”
Social media did have its benefits and Epiha saw sharing information and the good news with the community as part of the role.
But the spate of negative comments around water reforms resulted in Epiha pulling back on his online presence.
“I was only sharing what is necessary and trying to control the narrative.
“It meant I wasn’t getting harassed as much.”
It also helped him realise the decision he made in December, that this would be his last term on council, was the right one for him.
Epiha said he didn’t want to become complacent or stale in the role, instead, he wanted to make way for a new face with fresh thinking to take the mantle.
The rising vitriol wouldn’t tarnish his experience over the two terms, he said.
Serving his community “has been an incredible journey and a privilege”.
“The opportunity to contribute to my community in meaningful and lasting ways is also immensely valuable.”
It certainly had its challenges, aside from the online abuse, like part way through his first term when he was diagnosed with ADHD at 46 years old.
He said the diagnosis and medication transformed his focus.
“There was always something rushing in my head and it was like the waterfall turned off.
“It’s helped me compartmentalise my life and make time for my family.”
He said he would exit the council chamber with his head held high in October.
‘We need to keep people in office safe’ — LGNZ
Local Government NZ chief executive Susan Freeman-Greene said elected members were being abused more often — both online and in person — in recent years.
The abuse ranged from threats of physical harm via social media to local leaders and their families being harassed and intimidated in public, she said.
“It’s unacceptable and is something that Local Government NZ has been taking very seriously.
“We need to keep people in public office safe, so they can focus on doing the best job they can; and it’s especially important in an election year that people who are considering standing can feel confident about the safety of local democracy.”
A key focus at an all-of-local-government meeting on May 1 was addressing abuse and harassment of elected members.
The group would release a guide for members on how they can stay safe from, and mitigate, this type of harm, she said.
LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.
