Kaiwaka-Mangawhai candidate Luke Canton is under fire after online posts surfaced showing him making racially and culturally derogatory remarks about Eru Kapa-Kingi and broadcaster Jenny-May Clarkson.
Canton, who is considered a frontrunner for one of the three ward seats on the Kaipara District Council, was exposed online for a comment he made on a video of Kapa-Kingi, in which he compared the activist’s mataora (traditional Māori facial tattoo) to burn marks from an oven element. He went on to suggest they were received from taking “pre-speech spots.”
The second post in question was a repost referring to TVNZ Breakfast host Jenny-May Clarkson as “scribble face,” accompanied by the caption, “That’s why these woke media b****es are losing their jobs.”
Outgoing Māori Ward councillor Pera Paniora (Ngāti Whātua) says community members approached her about several offensive comments made by Canton.
A total of 14 social media posts of a similar nature were captured from Canton’s X account (formerly Twitter). “It’s a problem because it’s just unacceptable and frankly racist,” Paniora said.
“We don’t need leaders in our community who hold those sorts of views. We want community leaders who are inclusive of all members of the community, including Māori.”
Canton declined an on-camera interview but told Te Ao Māori News that Paniora had shared his post to portray him as a “racist.”
He maintained that he is “just opposed to any race-based legislation,” including wards and seats, and said he “thought it was a good dig at Eru.
When asked what he meant by ‘spots,’ Canton explained it was a reference to cannabis consumption that he had copied from another account.
He added that he was “doom-scrolling” when he came across the post about Clarkson and had “no idea” what was on the original poster’s page, a controversial account known for politically racist content, despite screenshots from community members showing he had shared content from it before.
Race Relations Commissioner Melissa Derby says she was disappointed to see the comments.
“They are absolutely culturally derogatory, these comments, or comments like this, are insulting. They can cause real harm to people and to communities, and they’re simply, at the very least, really unhelpful and in poor taste.
“And look, I’d hope that we would expect better, and we should expect better, of our elected officials, whoever they may be, and of course, our fellow New Zealanders. We don’t want to be resorting to that kind of behaviour,” Derby said.
Canton’s comments come amid heightened tensions in Kaipara, with the council’s Māori ward coming to an end in these elections. Paniora, who was affected by the change as the first to hold a position on the Te Moananui o Kaipara Ward, says the situation is bigger than one person’s remarks.
“If I am around the council table, I’ll come with the same energy that I’ve had over the last three years, and I’ll make sure that his attitude doesn’t make its way around the council table - or he’s going to have a hard time,” said Paniora.
In a statement to Te Ao Māori News, the Kaipara District Council said it does not condone racism. While the council has a Code of Conduct, it noted that any actions or behaviour that occur before a person becomes an elected member cannot be dealt with by the council.
Canton is currently only 42 votes behind outgoing mayor Craig Jepson for the Kaiwaka-Mangawhai Ward, placing him in line to secure the third seat based on preliminary results. Official results will be released on Friday, determining whether Canton is elected.
Both Kapa-Kingi and Clarkson have been approached for comment.
Background
Kaipara District Council was the first local government body to scrap its Māori ward in August 2024, following the coalition government’s passage of legislation requiring councils to hold a referendum or disestablish them.
The decision directly affected outgoing Māori Ward Councillor Pera Paniora, as the ward had only been established under Mayor Craig Jepson in 2022.
The story made national headlines as protestors surrounded the meeting room where votes were taking place and erupted in haka as councillors voted 6 to 3 in favour of disestablishing the Te Moananui o Kaipara Māori ward.
Jepson was amongst those who voted against it, and Paniora with those wanting to retain it.
